Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren says building a ‘magnificent’ downtown stadium remains a possibility

Kevin Warren still dreams of the possibility of building a new stadium for the Chicago Bears in the heart of the city. Fueled by a combination of imagination and think-big ambition, the team president and CEO isn’t yet letting that dream die.

That much was obvious Wednesday as Warren addressed the media on a multitude of topics during the Bears’ end-of-season procession at Halas Hall. The ongoing stadium project was a hot topic, of course. And Warren used the opportunity to express a vision for a potential new stadium not far from the current game-day residence at Soldier Field.

“I strongly believe Chicago is the finest city in all of the world,” he said. “Very rarely do you get an opportunity to have such a beautiful downtown with a vibrant business community, with an absolutely beautiful lake and the energy that goes along.”

The Bears own 326 acres where Arlington International Racecourse used to sit in Arlington Heights. The team closed on that property last winter with initial plans to build a new stadium and a multi-use development complex that would include an entertainment district and residential buildings. That location remains the likeliest place for the Bears to end up.

Despite several property-tax-related snags plus stalled negotiations with three suburban school districts over financial dynamics within that potential project, the Bears continue to explore their options in Arlington Heights. Warren said Wednesday he anticipates team attorneys to connect soon with school district attorneys to “continue that dialogue.”

He also acknowledged the appeal of the massive footprint the Bears could utilize with the Arlington Heights property.

“Anytime you have 326 acres, you can do more,” he said.

But he also emphasized a glass-half-full mindset with his dream of building an iconic stadium in Chicago.

“Absolutely we can build something that would be magnificent downtown,” he said.

Since officially starting with the Bears in April, Warren has actively engaged in conversations with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on the matter. The team recently expressed interest in exploring land south of Soldier Field as a possible stadium site but received blowback from the Friends of the Park organization, which advocated for keeping that land along Lake Michigan as accessible public space and not opening it for private real estate development.

Last June, Warren took a meeting with Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli, who expressed interest in engaging with the Bears about possibly building a new stadium there. Soon after, officials from Waukegan and Richton Park made similar pitches.

As Warren continues to envision and explore all possibilities, his business practicality also reminds him of the project’s urgency and his desire to operate within a sensible timeline.

He again stressed Wednesday that settling on a stadium location is one of his most important and pressing responsibilities in the months ahead.

“From the way the market is,” he said, “the longer you wait, the more expensive it is building any project. So I’m going to make sure I’m focused on, not rushing, but making sure we are deliberate in that stadium process. Because truly, in that world, time is money.”

Warren described himself as “neurotic about making sure things make financial sense.”

“This is a large amount of money,” he continued. “So you can’t enter into these decisions haphazardly and just kind of decide (on things) as you go.”

As chief operating officer for the Minnesota Vikings from 2015-19, Warren was an influential figure in getting a new stadium built in downtown Minneapolis. The Vikings opened the $1.1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016.

Warren has leaned on that experience since joining the Bears and remains proud the Vikings completed their stadium project on time and under budget.

His goal with the Bears, he reiterated Wednesday, is “making sure we build the most progressive, smartly priced, on-time, under-budget stadium development project that’s ever been built in the National Football League.”

Warren has estimated a new stadium would be targeted to open about three years after a shovel breaks ground. Determining where to sink that shovel remains a pressing matter.

“That stadium is a 40-year decision,” he said. “And we need to make sure we get that right and that we’re very deliberate in our thought process.

“I want to make sure that wherever we build our stadium that we do it in a manner that pulls our fans together so we can create experiences they’ll remember for multiple generations.”

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from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/wzV6LR0