AND INSPIRATION.
>>> THE BEARS TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING, NOT JUST NEIGHBORHOOD HEIGHTS AND NAPERVILLE, BUT OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
>> AND RENEWING TALKS ABOUT THE TEAM STICKING WITH CHICAGO.
OUTSIDE THE BEARS CURRENT HOME FIELD WITH THE LATEST, AMANDA?
>> Reporter: YEAH, TAYLOR SWIFT HAS LEFT THE PREMISE, SO IT'S TIME TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE TEAM MOST ASSOCIATED WITH SOLDIER FIELD, WHICH IS THE CHICAGO BEARS, WHO ARE REALLY PLAYING THE FIELD AND I DON'T MEAN FOOTBALL.
DEMOLITION IS ALREADY UNDERWAY AT THE FORMER HORSE RACETRACK WHICH THE TEAM PAID $200 MILLION BACK IN FEBRUARY.
THIS HAS LED A LOT OF FOLKS TO BELIEVE THE TEAM WAS REALLY SET ON MAKING THAT NORTHWESTERN SUBURB ITS NEW HOME.
BUT NO, NOW THE BEARS SAY, DUE TO WHAT IT SAYS IS AN OVERLY HIGH PROPERTY TAX BILL.
THE ARLINGTON HEIGHTS IS NO LONGER THE BEARS' SINGULAR FOCUS, WHICH IS WHY THE TEAM APPARENTLY ACCEPTED AN INVITATION FROM THE CITY OF NAPERVILLE'S NEW MAYOR TRYING TO ENTICE THE TEAM TO INSTEAD COME THERE.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS MAYOR SAYS HE ALWAYS KNEW THE BEARS WERE GOING TO KEEP THE TEAM'S OPTIONS OPEN.
IT IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION THAT NAPERVILLE MADE THE OVERTURE, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
>> IF I WERE THE BEARS I WOULD MAKE THE PHONE CALL AND I WOULD MAKE EFTS TO TRY TO ATTRACT A FRANCHISE TO MY COMMUNITY AS WELL.
I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHERE EVERYBODY IS COMING FROM.
>> Reporter: BUT HE SAYS THE NAPERVILLE TALK HAS FORCED SOME RESIDENTS TO GET MORE AGGRESSIVE, MORE COMPETITIVE TO LURE AND KEEP THE BEARS FOCUSED ON ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, WHILE OTHERS SAID GOOD RIDDANCE.
HE IS NOT WORRIED.
>> THE BEARS HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE PROPERTY AT ARLINGTON PARK FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS NOW, SINCE THE MID-1970s.
AND I REALLY THINK IT'S THEIR DREAM SITE, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR FAN DOM IN THE NORTHWEST SUBURBS.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE THEY WILL WALK AWAY FROM THIS UNIQUE ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.
>> NOT SO FAST THOUGH, THIS COULD BE A NEW OPENING FOR THE CITY OF CHICAGO, AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT STATE REPRESENTATIVE CAM BUCKNER THINKS.
HE IS A CLOSE ALLY WITH THE MAYOR AND ON HIS TEAM.
>> THE BEARS ENTERTAINING THE IDEA OF MOVING TO NAPERVILLE I THINK OPENS UP A WINDOW OF HOPE FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT WE SHOULD STILL BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FINDING A DEAL THAT MAKES SENSE FOR BOTH THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND THE CHICAGO BEARS ORGANIZATION, AND I THINK MAYOR JOHNSTON REALLY DOES DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BROKER THAT DEAL.
>> Reporter: DISTRICT INCLUDES SOLDIER FIELD AND HE SAYS IT HAS THE HISTORIC FEEL.
HE WOULD LOVE THE TEAM TO STAY HERE, BUT THEY NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER LOCATIONS, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THE BEARS WANT TO DO MORE THAN JUST THE STADIUM.
HE KNOWS MAYOR JOHNSON WANTS THE CHANCE TO KEEP THE BEARS IN CHICAGO, SO HE SAYS HE HAS NOT SPOKEN DIRECTLY WITH JOHNSON ABOUT THIS SINCE THAT MEETING ON FRIDAY WITH THE -- BETWEEN THE BEARS AND NAPERVILLE.
MAYOR JOHNSON'S OFFICE DID THE NOT RETURN A REQUEST SEEKING COMMENT, NOR, BY THE WAY, DID THE BEARS, BUT I DID SPEAK WITH SOMEONE WHO HAD DIRECT KNOWLEDGE AND TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES, THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND THE BEARS, COULD BEGIN AS EARLY AS THIS WEEK, I'M TOLD.
MEANWHILE.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE MARTY MORLAND, ESSENTIALLY SUB DICE THE BEARS AND GIVE SOME MONEY TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO TO PAY OFF RENOVATIONS FROM THE LAST ROUND HERE AT SOLDIER FIELD.
HE REMAINS FOCUSED ON GETTING THE BEST DEAL FOR THE BEARS.
THEY ARE FRUGAL AND FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THE OPERATIONS WORK.
HE SAID HE DID HAVE VOTES TO CALL THAT BILL DURING THE RECENTLY ADJOURNED LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BUT HE DIDN'T DO SO IN ORDER TO GIVE THE COMMUNITY AND THE TEAM MORE TIME TO WORK OUT A DEAL ON WHAT, AGAIN, THE TEAM HAD SAID WERE EXCESSIVE PROPERTY TAXES.
NOW, MORELAND DOES REPRESENT PARTS OF THE NORTHWEST SUBURBS, SO ALSO INTERESTED IN KEEPING THE BEARS FOCUSED ON ARLINGTON HEIGHTS.
HE SAYS THE DEVELOPMENT THE BEARS ARE ENVISIONING WOULD BE HUGE FOR THE ENTIRE DIVISION.
>> REMEMBER COOK COUNTY WON'T GET ANY SALES TAX IF IT MOVES TO NAPERVILLE.
THE PRESIDENT IS GOING TO BE SAYING WHERE IS MINE AND ALSO GOES TO NAPERVILLE.
ROCKFORD THROUGH THEIR HAT IN THE BRINGE RING.
THIS IS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PROPOSAL.
AT DOME STADIUM, WE COULD HAVE SUPER BOWLS HERE.
>> Reporter: HE HAS NOT SEEN THE DIRECT OFFER FROM ROCKFORD, BUT HE IS AWARE.
I TRIED TO REACH OUT TO CITY OFFICIALS THERE.
BY THE WAY, ROCKFORD, ABOUT A TWO-HOUR DRIVE.
AND OFFICIALS DID NOT GET BACK TO ME.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE BEARS WOULDN'T LIKE THE PACKERS SEEING THEIR PLAY BOOK, A LOT OF THE PLAYERS IN TERMS OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS ARE NOT
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