Suppose the veto session ends in December without a deal, and the Bears keep pushing Hammond. What happens to the property taxes on the empty Arlington Park site? The answer depends on a December 2024 agreement that expires after tax year 2027, and the reporting on what comes next is not entirely consistent.
What is locked in today
On December 9, 2024, the Village of Arlington Heights, the Bears’ development entity (CBFC Development LLC) and School Districts 15, 211 and 214 signed a memorandum of understanding. It fixed the site’s market value at $124,691,296 while the land sits vacant. At Cook County’s 10% assessment level for vacant land, that comes to about $3.6 million a year in property taxes. It covers tax years 2025, 2026 and 2027. For context, the site’s 2023 bill was close to $9 million.
After 2027: two descriptions
Here is where coverage differs:
- CBS Chicago described the 2024 deal as requiring the Bears to commit to building by 2027. If they do not, taxes would rise 2% to 5% a year starting in 2028.
- The village’s own project page describes the settlement as running through 2027 and being extendable if development milestones are met.
These are not necessarily in conflict. They may describe the same agreement with different emphasis: the term could be extended if the Bears hit milestones, with increases kicking in if they don’t. But I have not seen the full text of the MOU, and the details matter. I’ll publish the exact language if I can obtain it.
Three ways this could go
| Scenario | What likely happens to site taxes |
|---|---|
| Illinois passes a bill and the Bears commit to Arlington Heights | A new arrangement, such as an authority-owned stadium, would replace the MOU for the stadium itself. The surrounding development would be taxed under whatever the bill sets. |
| No deal, the Bears keep the land vacant while building in Hammond | After 2027, the vacant-land deal ends or steps up, and the value could be reassessed. Another valuation fight is possible. |
| No deal, and the Bears sell the land | A new owner would be taxed at a new assessment. Mayor Jim Tinaglia has said he would not support a data center, logistics or storage use there. |
Why it matters even without a stadium
The three school districts, the village and other taxing bodies budget around these numbers. The swing between values the parties have argued for, from the Bears’ $60 million appraisal to the schools’ $160 million, is large enough to matter to local budgets. The Bears have also said a fully built stadium district would face more than $100 million a year in property taxes without some kind of relief, which is why the long-term question is being settled in Springfield rather than at the Board of Review.
Other clocks running at the same time
- Veto session: November 17–19 and December 1–3, 2026.
- Spring 2027 session: adjourns May 31, 2027. Mayor Tinaglia has mentioned February, March and May as possible windows.
- Indiana: another $200 million is due into Indiana’s stadium fund in June 2027.
- Construction costs: Bears president Kevin Warren has said costs rise about $150 million a year while the decision drags on.
- Soldier Field: the Bears’ lease runs through 2033.
I’ll update this post when I have the MOU text or when either side comments on what happens after 2027.
Sources
- Patch: Bears would pay $3.6M in property taxes under Arlington Park agreement
- Village of Arlington Heights: Arlington Park redevelopment
- CBS Chicago: Chicago Bears prioritize Arlington Heights stadium development
- The Real Deal: Bears settle for $7.8M tax bill in first battle of Arlington Park fight
- Daily Herald: Bears and schools $100 million apart on Arlington Park value
- Chicago Sun-Times: Bears stadium bill in Springfield (May 31, 2026)
- The Illinoize: Leaders hope for Arlington Heights deal in veto session