Daily Herald opinion: Bears stadium proposal emphasizes need for public involvement in the process

This editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board

From the beginning, a certain shadow of doubt has hovered over the prospects for a Chicago Bears move to the vacant Arlington Park property.

Some uncertainty may persist until the first shovel of dirt is removed to begin construction of a new stadium, but that shadow does seem to be slowly breaking apart.

Interested residents and other parties will get an even clearer picture Thursday night as team representatives lead a discussion at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. Among topics on the agenda will be a draft proposal released Tuesday that envisions a Bears stadium anchoring a mixed-use development on the 326-acre site.

The proposal is necessarily tentative, coming so early in the process, and cannot by itself be confirmation of the Bears' commitment to Arlington Heights. But it certainly points further in that direction, especially when coupled with the team's promise not to seek public funds for the construction of its promised state-of-the-art football stadium.

The team did not have to show its hand so soon on the issue of public funding, so its statement on that issue suggests both that it is not inclined to pit the suburbs and the city in a bidding war and that it is eager to dispel speculation that could hold up progress on a move.

The team's release does take pains to clarify that the Bears may be open to seeking public help with other parts of the development. Considering the scope of the vision being presented and the many unpredictable details that remain to be worked out, it's understandable that the door to future funding options needs to be left open. Whether public financing should in some way be among those options is a legitimate question, but it only makes sense to hold off determining an answer until much more information is known, including especially what kind of funding is being sought, what source or sources it would come from and what specifically it would be used for.

Until then, it's important to study the Bears' proposals carefully. The release provides a vivid and dramatic picture of the powerful impact such ideas could have for the entire suburban region.

A capacity crowd is expected Thursday, demonstrating not just the curiosity that is building over the NFL franchise's plans but also the community's interest in influencing them — and, of course, the growing conviction that a suburban Bears stadium is more than just a high-stakes guessing game.

If you want to attend the meeting, get there early. It will be held in the gymnasium at Hersey, 1900 E. Thomas St., Arlington Heights. The parking lot opens at 5 p.m. and the doors a half-hour later. Admission will be on a first-come basis until the capacity is reached.