Arlington Heights Approves Pre-Development Plan On Possible Bears' Relocation

FILE – In this Oct. 28, 2018, file photo, fans wait for an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and New York Jets at Soldier Field in Chicago. A potential move by the Bears from the lakefront stadium has been picking up steam in recent weeks, after the team announced a bid to purchase Arlington International Racecourse. The famed thoroughbred track in the village of Arlington Heights sits about 30 miles northwest of Soldier Field on a 326-acre plot of land owned by Churchill Downs Inc. that is for sale. (AP Photo/Matt Marton, File)

The Village of Arlington Heights, Illinois, is moving forward with plans for the Chicago Bears to possibly move to the northwest suburb. The village board last night approved a pre-development plan on the Bears’ possible relocation. The agreement isn’t binding, but an agreed upon framework and goals for the development of a new stadium and mixed-used development. However, the document is the first public acknowledgment that the Bears plan to ask for public money to execute their proposal.