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Mayor Brandon Johnson emphasized again Tuesday he's done his part to try to keep the Bears in Chicago.
Chicago Bears leadership recently told the mayor's office they have shifted their focus for a new stadium back to the massive Arlington Heights property the team purchased back in 2023, thus backing away from a controversial proposal for a new lakefront stadium to keep the team in the city proper.
Mayor Johnson has continued to blame the team's decision on the lack of support for state funding.
"The question is will the state use the dollars that are designed for stadiums to be built," Johnson said Tuesday. "That's a decision that they'll have to make, and if they're not committed to doing that, then the Bears will have to make other considerations. The doors remain open and there's a long way to go still here."
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has been publicly skeptical about the Bears' plan to use state funds to build their new stadium. He called the team's proposal for a domed, taxpayer-funded stadium on the lakefront just south of Soldier Field a "non-starter" last spring. That proposal included $900 million in public funds for upfront costs, plus an additional $1.5 billion in taxpayer funds for infrastructure improvements around the stadium.
"I remain skeptical about this proposal, and I wonder whether it's a good deal for the taxpayers," Pritzker said at the time. "It's very important to me that, with all that the state needs to accomplish, that we think about what the priorities are of the state."
And in February, State Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) proposed legislation that would tie any public financing for professional sportsstadiums to a team's performance. Both the Bears and the Chicago White Sox are seeking public monetary help to fund new stadiums.
Sara Tenenbaum
Sara Tenenbaum is the Senior Digital Producer for CBS News Chicago covering breaking, local and community news in Chicago. She previously worked as a digital producer and senior digital producer for ABC7 Chicago.