Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the country's most expensive ever at $5.5 billion, was financed by owners of the Los Angeles Rams. 'You know, the NFL franchises are much more valuable when they own their own stadium.'īut those costs are soaring. 'The bears definitely need a new arena that can compete with the other NFL franchises, get it up to industry standards,' Hayes said. The mayor of Arlington Heights says Chicago Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips told him the team is serious about buying the site. says Arlington International Racecourse will shut down for good when the current horse racing season ends September 25th. Tuesday’s announcement of a multi-year partnership between the Bears and Rivers Casino underscores that the team and executives of Churchill Downs have been in serious talks.Ĭhurchill Downs, Inc. She mockingly advised Bears executives to focus on building a better team that could beat the Green Bay Packers. Lightfoot added some of her trademark snark for good measure. Last Thursday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot dismissed the Bears' implied threat to leave Soldier Field as a mere bargaining ploy.