A public authority would own the stadium, the Bears would build it, and it would pay no property tax. Here is how that structure works, how it compares to the megaprojects bill and to Hammond, and what critics say it costs.
The school districts that tax Arlington Park are Palatine District 15, District 211 and District 214, not Arlington Heights District 25. Here is how the site’s value was fought over and what each state proposal would mean for them.
A 2024 agreement holds the Bears’ Arlington Park tax bill near $3.6M a year through tax year 2027. What happens after that depends on whose description of the deal you read.
The Bears want about $855M in public infrastructure money for roads, sewers and Metra around Arlington Park. The list has never been itemized, the traffic study still isn’t in, and neighboring mayors want a say.
The Bears’ consultant projects $18M a year for Arlington Heights; the village’s reviewer says about $15M. Economists say stadiums rarely grow regional economies. Here is how to read the numbers.
Taxpayers still owe hundreds of millions on the 2002–03 Soldier Field renovation, paid from Chicago’s hotel tax until 2032. No Bears proposal so far, including the one reported in October, has dealt with it.