The Chicago Bears will soon be leaving Soldier Field, their home since 1971, for the nearby suburb Arlington Heights. The city is making a last-ditch effort to prevent the move.

The Bears may have to play with a taxpayer-funded dome on top of Soldier Field, which has not been renovated in 20 years. The city is considering the addition of one so that it can make it a more attractive venue. Part of that move is to keep the Bears in Chicago rather than allow it to move to the suburbs.

In a statement, the Bears franchise made it clear that they are not interested in renovations to the stadium and are fully committed to their new stadium (via Chris Emma of 670 The Score).

“The only potential project the Chicago Bears are exploring for a new stadium development is Arlington Park…As part of our mutual agreement with the seller of that property, we are not pursuing alternative stadium deals or sites, including renovations to Soldier Field, while we are under contract. We have informed the city of Chicago that we intend to honor our contractual commitments as we continue our due diligence and predevelopment activities on the Arlington Heights property. In the meantime, we remain committed to fulfilling our permit operating agreement (POA) at Soldier Field.”

The Bears plan to build a new stadium at the sight of Arlington International Racecourse, which closed down in 2021 and is roughly an hour-long drive from Soldier Field. The franchise's lease with Soldier Field lasts until 2033 but they can officially move in just four years if they are willing to pay the city $84 million, per Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago.