Bears Looking at Leaving Downtown Chicago Despite $2.2 Billion Promise from Mayor

The NFL’s historic Chicago Bears franchise is considering moving from their longtime home stadium of Soldier Field, despite the best efforts of city Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Soldier Field has been home to the Bears for over 50 years and is the oldest in the NFL, but that may be soon to change. Last year, the team’s ownership reached an agreement on a 326-acre site in the much safer Chicago suburbs. The Bears’ purchase is now pending, with a number of “logistical, financial, and legal loops both sides” need to figure out, reports The Guardian.

The Bears seem intent on moving despite efforts from Lightfoot. Soldier Field is the smallest in the league and is not eligible to host events like the Super Bowl or the World Cup. It received $600 million in 2003 which went to waste after few meaningful renovations were done. Lightfoot’s plans would cost as much as $2.2 billion. Lightfoot has not said who would fund the plans but noted that selling the naming rights for the stadium is a possibility.