With eight years left on the Bears’ Soldier Field lease, the team is considering proposals for a new stadium — including three prominent options in Arlington Heights, at the museum campus lakefront and at the former Michael Reese hospital site in Bronzeville. (Read our summary of three Bears stadium options.)
We asked Sun-Times readers to tell us which proposal they like. Here’s what we heard, lightly edited for clarity:
“Go to Arlington Heights. You have the land, the taxes negotiated, it’s great location, and it’s accessible by car, train and bus.”
— Rich Pacelli
“Michael Reese area. More room to build around, and the lake still nearby.”
— Jesse Rocha
“The one that requires the least, and preferably no, public money. At this juncture, that’s Arlington Heights. The Arlington Heights proposal has … less traffic obstruction downtown, easy access from nearly the entire metropolitan area, the potential for plenty of parking and avoidance of another eyesore on our beautiful lakefront.”
— Mark Quinn
“The Michael Reese site seems to have a lot of potential. I would go for that.”
— Eric Bisch
“Chicago takes on more debt every time anyone turns around. If we can’t afford to pay for the pensions we owe or to fund education, we can’t afford to subsidize billionaires and their sports teams. Let the Bears go to Arlington Heights and let those folks foot the bill.”
— Bob Black
“Sell the team.”
— Fred Triezenberg
“[Arlington Heights] has two dedicated highway exits. It has a Pace service. And it has a dedicated Metra stop. It’s literally easier to get to than Soldier Field, unless you count the lake as an access point.”
— Troy Brinson
“I know the city might want it downtown, but honestly, getting in and out of the city is difficult even without game traffic.”
— Sherrie Snow
“Arlington Heights. The highest amount of land is available to build and create a unique experience. The Metra drops you off right at the property. [It] has more potential for growth than the other two sites.”
— Nick Esposito
“Instead of focusing on the stadium, they should build a team.”
— K. Renee Webber
“All I care about is for it to have a dome and a parking lot to tailgate in that’s close to the stadium.”
— Jon McLaughlin