‘Clearly a fumble’: Arlington Heights mayor calls out state lawmakers over lack of Bears deal

Hours after state lawmakers failed to act on legislation to bring a new Chicago Bears stadium to Arlington Heights, Mayor Jim Tinaglia said Monday village officials are “truly disappointed” and will continue to seek opportunities to redevelop the former Arlington Park site.

“Although we recognize that these discussions are complex and involve many stakeholders, this is clearly a fumble for the State of Illinois,” Tinaglia said in a written statement released by the village. “My commitment to the residents and businesses of Arlington Heights is unwavering, and we will continue to represent the interests of our community as future opportunities and next steps are considered.”

Despite the failure to secure an NFL stadium that would be the centerpiece of a potentially $5 billion mixed-use project, the Arlington Park property remains “one of the largest and most important redevelopment opportunities” in Illinois, according to the statement.

“The Village remains committed to thoughtful planning, community engagement, and responsible evaluation and discussions of future redevelopment proposals with the Chicago Bears and stakeholders related to the Arlington Park property,” the statement reads.

Leaders of Touchdown Arlington, a group of businesses and community members advocating for a stadium at Arlington Park, still hope to see the Bears make the Northwest suburbs home.

“As someone who follows development closely, I’ve learned never to confuse delay with cancellation,” said Holly Connors, a local real estate broker and member of Touchdown Arlington’s steering committee.

Despite lawmakers’ failure to pass a bill over the weekend, Connors said she believes there’s still a realistic opportunity that a stadium deal can be reached. But she also said many see this as another example of how challenging it is to do business in Illinois.

“We’ve had an incredible amount of support from community members, and even from some politicians,” Connors added. “But not all of the politicians have been in alignment, and that’s where Illinois has failed its residents.”

Even after hours of intense negotiations over the weekend, the General Assembly was unable to pass a bill that would provide the Bears with the tax breaks the team wants to build a domed stadium on the 326-acre former racetrack property.

The state House in April passed a “megaproject” bill that would have allowed the Bears to negotiate property tax payments with schools and other local governments for up to 40 years.

But the plan failed to win enough support in the Senate, which instead passed a measure early Monday that would allow Arlington Heights — or Chicago — to create a public stadium authority that would own and govern the facility, making it tax-free.

However, the House failed to vote on that proposal before the legislature’s spring session came to a close shortly after 4 a.m. Monday.

That leaves the Bears choosing between a similar deal awaiting them to build a new home in Hammond, Indiana, or waiting to see if the General Assembly calls a special session to act on legislation that would keep the team in Illinois.