SPRINGFIELD — Now they know how their fans feel.
Perhaps appropriately, the Chicago Bears will likely have to wait a little longer to get help from Springfield in their plans for a new stadium in Arlington Heights.
Lead bill sponsor state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, on Wednesday told lawmakers he needs more time — and more support — to clinch a deal that he says would cost “nothing” to taxpayers. Legislators have a self-imposed deadline of Friday to pass a slew of budget measures, and all other pending matters, before the Illinois General Assembly adjourns for the legislative session.
The Bears in January said “property tax certainty is necessary for the Arlington Park project to move forward.” A new stadium alone in Arlington Heights is estimated to cost at least $2.5 billion.
The Bears closed on the $197.2 million purchase of Arlington International Racecourse in February and have submitted paperwork with Arlington Heights to begin demolition.
Moylan’s latest plan, introduced last week, would freeze a property tax assessment for up to 40 years for the Arlington Heights stadium and create a $3 admission tax on all events held there, not just football games.
An oversight board was also added to the proposal, consisting of municipal, school and park district officials from Arlington Heights and surrounding communities. As an agreement with the Bears for the property tax freeze, the team would pay an annual amount to Arlington Heights to be shared with other local taxing districts.
“We owe it to ourselves and our constituents to get this right,” Moylan said at a House Executive Committee hearing on Wednesday. “I look forward to working with all the interested parties in the coming weeks to move ahead deliberately and thoughtfully.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to move the bill and the ball forward. It’s important we get this bill across the goal line, and there’s no cost to the taxpayers. It’s a win-win situation. No cost to the Bears.”
Moylan took the lead in making changes to the measure. The Bears took no position but in a statement issued with business and labor groups, the team called Moylan’s proposal an “excellent foundation.” The Bears say they hope to further develop the legislation over the summer months.
Changes to the House bill include adding Schaumburg to a list of recipients of infrastructure distribution money, giving Arlington Heights back its zoning power, taking legislators off an oversight board and adding in the mayors of Palatine and Rolling Meadows — and adding language requested by labor unions. Moylan told the Sun-Times unions are now “engaged” on the measure.
Revenue generated at the new stadium, including from state sales tax, hotel and liquor taxes and a new 3% surcharge on sports betting revenue, would be split to help surrounding communities pay for infrastructure.
Arlington Heights would receive 30% of that new revenue; Palatine and Rolling Meadows 14% apiece; and Cook County, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg and Wheeling each getting 6% of the revenue.
Moylan told reporters the initial bill was “dead in the water.” But with the addition of labor support and 10 communities getting a part of tax revenues, he said he’s optimistic he can move the measure forward.
“You have to get more people involved than just Arlington Heights. And that’s how you do it. You got to generate excitement. Plus, you have to get ... it’s a process of addition. I need more reps,” Moylan said, meaning fellow House members to sign on or co-sponsor the measure.
So far, no members of the House Democratic leadership team have publicly given the plan their support.
During the subject matter hearing, state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, told Moylan he was concerned that the city still owes $640 million from the last Soldier Field renovation.
“I was a high school kid working as an usher at Soldier Field when that renovation started and here we are 20 years later,” Buckner said. “And I’m still footing the bill.”
Buckner, who also previously worked for the Chicago Cubs, said the team spent a lot of money covering Chicago’s 9% amusement tax — and he’s concerned about the loss of that revenue when the Bears leave Chicago.
Moylan said money from a ticket enhancement would go to the city of Chicago. As far as an amusement tax, Moylan said, “we’re going to look at that and see how much that’s going to be.”
The Des Plaines Democrat also said he has called Mayor Brandon Johnson to ask for a meeting about the measure.
He said constituents in his north suburban district “all want the Bears.”
Chicago’s new mayor has said he’s not giving up on trying to keep the Bears at Soldier Field and asked the team to allow him to evaluate the matter.
“I’m not going to accept inevitability, and I’ve asked ownership to give me an opportunity to be able to assess, and then we can make a collective determination together,” Johnson said last month on the “Mully & Haugh Show” on 670 The Score.
