Bears Get Pitch from Aurora Mayor to Build New Stadium in Chicago Suburb

The Chicago Bears are continuing to consider locations for a new stadium despite purchasing land in Arlington Heights, and Aurora, Illinois, is the latest city to toss its name into the ring.

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin sent the Bears a letter this week encouraging team president Kevin Warren to consider the city, which is the second-largest in Illinois, as the destination for its new stadium.

"The opportunity to partner with the historic Chicago Bears as you search for the perfect new home is one we are eager to take on," Irvin wrote, per Mitchell Armentrout of the Chicago Sun-Times. "Welcoming a historic organization such as the Chicago Bears would enhance our bold vision for Aurora and will provide the Chicago Bears with a new home to begin the next phase of your storied history."

The suburban cities of Naperville and Waukegan have also expressed interest in hosting the Bears with a new stadium.

The Bears purchased 326 acres of land at Arlington Heights for $197 million in February with the idea to build a stadium and entertainment district that includes restaurants, offices, a hotel, fitness center and more.

However, the team announced earlier this month that the location was no longer its "singular focus" due to concerns related to a high property tax assessment.

"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," the Bears said in a statement. "The stadium-based project remains broadly popular in Arlington Heights, Chicagoland and the state.

"However, the property's original assessment at five times the 2021 tax value, and the recent settlement with Churchill Downs for 2022 being three times higher, fails to reflect the property is not operational and not commercially viable in its current state."

The Bears have called Chicago's Soldier Field home since 1971 and the city proposed an overhaul for the stadium last summer that included the addition of a dome and increasing of its capacity from an NFL-low 61,500 to 70,000.

However, the franchise said at the time that "the only potential project the Chicago Bears are exploring for a new stadium development is Arlington Park" and that it was not considering renovations to Soldier Field.

The Bears' lease with Soldier Field runs through 2033 but they can break it in 2026 for an $84 million fee.