Bears Purchase Property In Arlington Park

FILE – In this May 10, 2000 file photo, freshly planted flowers spell out “Arlington” at the main entrance to Arlington International Race Course in Arlington Heights, Ill. Arlington is among hundreds of tracks a trio of horse racing fans who have made a hobby out of traveling the country to visit different horse tracks are proud to say they have on their list. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

The Chicago Bears are nearing a departure from their longtime home at Soldier Field. The team is purchasing a 326-acre property in Arlington Park for more than 197 million dollars. The Bears stated that the purchase “does not guarantee the development of the team’s plan for a domed stadium.” They also said that there remains a “tremendous amount of due diligence” to be done in order to take the next step in the process. The team has estimated that the development could create more than 48-thousand jobs and bring in 9.4-billion dollars to the Chicagoland economy. The Bears have played at Soldier Field near the downtown Chicago area since 1971.