Bears reach tentative tax agreement for Arlington Heights stadium site

As the Bears continue to try to land a new stadium in Chicago, one of their suburban options has gotten a long-awaited boost.

About Mitchell Armentrout from the Chicago Sun Timesthe bears have reached a provisional agreement with Arlington Heights and local school district leaders over the tax bill for the potential stadium site the team had previously purchased.

The agreement will make it easier for them to build the stadium there, but they say their first choice remains in Chicago.

The Bears purchased the site for nearly $200 million with the goal of building a stadium there. The tax issue complicated matters, coinciding with renewed efforts to remain in the city.

It gives the Bears a viable Plan B if they continue to fail to make political progress on allocating public funding for a gated lakefront facility.

If nothing else, the presence of a clear option could prompt those in power to loosen the purse strings. If not, the Bears will eventually change their focus — unless they plan to stay at Soldier Field indefinitely.

Since relocation is not an option, the only leverage will come from surrounding towns and villages. And the Bears have pursued several options. Eventually, one of them might be viable enough to get Chicago’s attention.