The City of Waukegan has officially expressed a desire to host the Bears as home for its new stadium.
Mayor Ann Taylor addressed a letter to Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren. Taylor cited the close proximity of Waukegan, which is just 20 miles away from the headquarters located in Lake Forest. The drive can be made in as little as 15 minutes using Rt 41. Taylor’s letter also pointed out the many other advantages offered by Waukegan, including a set of available land areas to choose from, Metra access and adjacency to I-94.
In her letter, Taylor said, “Our working class and diverse community is as tough as the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears, and our leadership team at Waukegan City Hall is as aggressive as Justin Fields running the ball downfield when it comes to creating economic opportunities for our City, our residents, and the region at large,” said Taylor in her letter. “Our City’s staff and I invite you and your leadership to come to Waukegan to learn about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity our City can offer the Bears.”
Waukegan does have a beautiful lake front, an abundance of retail opportunities, great restaurants and an eager work force. It offers solid advantages. The Bears stadium would also be quite a shot in the arm in terms of the economic health of the community.
The Bears have not yet decided on where their stadium will be located. Should they begin to consider Waukegan, it will be important to make certain tax payers do not wind up on the hook for costs. The Bears team is worth something on the order of 5 billion dollars and fully capable of funding their stadium move.
