Aurora joins others suburbs trying to lure Bears from Chicago
Add Aurora to the growing list of suburbs that have invited the Chicago Bears to town as part of the NFL franchise's relocation plans.
Aurora officials said they sent a letter touting the state's second-largest city as a destination for the Bears to build a new stadium, joining Arlington Heights, Naperville and Waukegan.
"Upon receipt of the letter, representatives of the Chicago Bears organization responded quickly and positively," an Aurora news release stated.
The Bears finalized the purchase of the 326-acre Arlington Park property in Arlington Heights earlier this year for $197.2 million. The site remains the front-runner for the Bears relocation plans from downtown Chicago, where they currently play in a stadium that holds the fewest number of fans in the NFL.
In recent months though, officials in other suburbs have suggested their towns might be a better fit as team leaders haggle with school district officials about the former horse-racing track's property taxes. The Bears have begun demolition of the grandstand and other buildings and are seeking the property tax bill reduced to $4.3 million, while the schools have recommended $7.9 million.
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren met with Arlington Heights residents on Monday to discuss the impasse and mentioned that he had been contacted by officials from an undisclosed suburb as he was driving to the meeting.
A Bears spokesman Wednesday didn't say if that call was with Aurora officials. He referred back to the club's June 2 statement - the day Warren met with Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli - that "it is our responsibility to listen to other municipalities in Chicagoland about potential locations that can deliver on this transformational opportunity for our fans, our club and the state of Illinois."
In the wake of at least two meetings between the Bears and Naperville officials, Waukegan city leaders offered up their town as a possible relocation site as well.
In the letter Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin sent to the Bears, he and other city officials touted plans to relocate Hollywood Casino, the redevelopment of the Fox Valley Mall, construction of the newest Del Webb retirement community and "downtown reinvestments" that will add 500 new homes and 10,000 square feet of new retail space.
City officials also promoted its transportation access, noting its proximity to airports, Interstate 88 and the busy BNSF Metra line that has two stops in town.
Bears officials have not acknowledged any plans to meet with Aurora officials.
• Daily Herald staff writer Christopher Placek contributed to this report.