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Today’s quotable

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* Brad Biggs…

Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren says his focus for a new stadium project remains on the Museum Campus in Chicago, with a goal of breaking ground on construction in 2025. […]

Warren said he remains optimistic even as the Bears have struggled to gain traction for public money to get the project rolling.

“Me worn down?” he said. “Never. These stadium projects … that’s why you do them once every 30, 40, 50 years. I’m actually energized by it because anything that is great in life, anything that lasts 50 years, takes a lot of energy and effort.

Biggs goes on to note that the last stadium project for the Bears was completed a mere 21 years ago.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:07 am

Comments

And the debt from that stadium project is greater than it was 21 years ago… and made an iconic stadium look like a giant alien commode.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:11 am
Well he has Mayor Johnson on his side so how can he fail?

Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:14 am
“a goal of breaking ground on construction in 2025″

I usually hesitate to make predictions, but NOPE.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:15 am
I mean, by the time we’re 30, 40, 50 years into the last stadium project, the Bears finally get a little traction behind them for this push lol.

Comment by Google Is Your Friend Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:16 am
The Bears will still be paying property tax on their Arlington Heights open lands 30, 40, 50 years from now.

Comment by Dirty Red Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:19 am
~~~Well he has Mayor Johnson on his side so how can he fail?~~~

I get the snark.
Warren won’t need the mayor to get this done, he’ll need the State. I’m convinced this WILL get done, as soon as the right formula is introduced to ensure a true public benefit. (return on its investment)

Comment by Big Tent Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:25 am
“…with a goal of breaking ground on construction in 2025.”

Did I miss the part about the McCaskeys selling the team to someone who’ll self-fund the stadium? Minus that, Warren will be very worn down by the end of 2025.

Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:27 am
Warren should be in politics he sticks to the script as well as anyone. Reality is every elected official that really matters has told him no and that not going to change.

Comment by Regular democrat Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:30 am
Well, the on-the-field product is rounding into shape.

A few playoff-competitive seasons, and a few years of good Chicago City management, and maybe the public will be a bit more forthcoming.

Comment by walker Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:31 am
Yeah, and I’m confident that I’m going to win the powerball any day now.

Comment by TJ Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:31 am
As a solid Republican voter…I have started to side with the socialist in terms of how we prioritize our spending. What message does it send to the poor, the truly struggling, when a playland for the rich is built, and re-built, every 20 years? If they can built it themselves, go right ahead. Otherwise Chicago Bears, take a hike.

Comment by Joe Biden Playing Golf Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:32 am
===“So we’ve stayed close with the individuals in the City of Chicago. We’ve stayed close with the individuals in Arlington Heights. We’re the largest landowner there==

My money is still on the Lakefront being a leverage play to get Arlington Heights to be the source of public funding for a new stadium. The Cook County assessor has already agreed to a much lower assessed value on the property, so the property taxes won’t be an issue until something is actually built. Seems like the Lakefront has way too many obstacles to overcome to be viable (city/state/friends of park/etc.)

Comment by Sox Fan Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:35 am
==“Me worn down?” he said. “Never. These stadium projects … that’s why you do them once every 30, 40, 50 years.”==

Kevin Warren did one of “these stadium projects” for the Vikings 10 years ago, so maybe he needs another two decades before he shows any signs of competence at getting one done for the Bears.

Comment by Roadrager Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:36 am
==- Sox Fan - Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:35 am:==

A Sox fan dealing with Jerry Reinsdorf as an owner should know better than to think the Bears thought anything through. The McCaskeys and their cronies make Jerry Reinsdorf look like Albert Einstein. Arlington Heights was a Ted Phillips-George McCaskey pipe dream, that’s why the Bears bid against themselves for the land without any plan on what to do with it (simply repeating “build a stadium” is not a plan, nor is it the concept of a plan).

The lack of intelligence is why they did that with a team president on his way out the door to retirement. Only a handful of other teams would do a similar thing, and they’re all in the same bucket of dysfunctional mediocrity as the Bears (and that’s being nice).

Buying the land in Arlington Heights (when there were not going to be any other buyers for the entire plot) meant the team immediately lost all leverage for that site.

Building a dome in Arlington Heights would not get a Super Bowl, the Final Four, or anything else because there’s 1) not enough hotel space nearby 2) no way to effectively manage the traffic 3) you’re not located in the central city where the prime off the field events would take place. Contrast that to places like Minneapolis and Detroit, with downtown domed stadiums that have hosted the Super Bowl after opening.

Comment by Google Is Your Friend Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 11:58 am
The McCaskeys need to commit serious funding to get Warren elected Mayor. Once they get their guy in, they would get all the funding they wanted out of the city.

Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:05 pm
Mr. Warren must inhabit the same planet the Mayor is on.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:08 pm
===Warren said he remains optimistic even as the Bears have struggled to gain traction for public money===

Needs a new stadium because he’s greedy
Don’t use that money to feed the needy
He’s not here to cause to start no trouble
He’s just here to do the stadium shuffle

Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:10 pm
==Building a dome in Arlington Heights would not get a Super Bowl,==

I get what you’re saying, but please - have you been to Glendale AZ, Hollywood FL or Santa Clara CA? All of those have hosted super bowls (AZ and FL many) and none are anywhere near the ‘central city’ of their teams’ names

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:13 pm
The important thing to me is that the land on the lakefront does not belong to the Bears or any other private company. It is public property with a long-standing imperative that it be free and open. I hope they keep it that way.

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:16 pm
Someone needs to tell President Warren there are no Welfare dollars available to give to For-Profit, Privately Owned Corporations and they got a Free Stadium 20 years ago.

The lakefront is not available as a site.

Ginny and George however can spend their own money or go to the bank and get a loan to build a new place.

Comment by Jerry Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:20 pm
===Building a dome in Arlington Heights would not get a Super Bowl, the Final Four, or anything else because there’s 1) not enough hotel space nearby 2) no way to effectively manage the traffic 3) you’re not located in the central city where the prime off the field events would take place. Contrast that to places like Minneapolis and Detroit, with downtown domed stadiums that have hosted the Super Bowl after opening.===

I concede that I may be giving the McCaskey family too much credit. But I will push back on your last point. Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York all have their stadiums in the suburbs and have gotten Super Bowls.

Comment by Sox Fan Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:36 pm
This was mentioned:
obstacles to overcome to be viable (city/state/friends of park/etc.)

For that location, Friends of the Parks are a bigger obstacle than money

Comment by Lurker Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:57 pm
Warren looking to milk that job a few more years

Comment by Long Time Independent Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 1:04 pm
“I’m convinced this WILL get done, as soon as the right formula is introduced to ensure a true public benefit.”

That public benefit is as viable as a perpetual motion machine.

Comment by Save Ferris Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 1:15 pm
It’s pretty presumptuous to claim that you’re going to break ground on land you don’t own.

Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 1:43 pm
Arlington Heights on line one..

Comment by Rahm's Parking Meter Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 1:47 pm
Kevin Warren is not listening to the advice he’s been given. This current strategy is a guaranteed loser.

Comment by New Day Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 4:41 pm
Candy Dogood - Great update on the Shuffle.

Comment by West Side the Best Side Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 7:29 pm