Most Chicagoans want the Bears to stay, poll finds, but don’t want to spend tax dollars for a new stadium

Most Chicagoans want the Bears to stay in their city — but don’t want to spend public money to keep them, a new survey has found.

More than two-thirds of those surveyed, 68%, said it was important to keep the team in Chicago, but an almost equal number, 65%, said the local government should spend no money to keep the team in the city.

Another 28% supported a moderate level of public funding. Only 7% said the city should spend significant amounts on the effort.

What to know about the Chicago Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field to suburban Arlington Heights

“It’s a bit of a challenge for public officials, most notably (Mayor) Brandon Johnson, because people are going to be upset if the Bears leave, but they’re going to remove the most important tool to keep them here,” said professor Christopher Berry, faculty director of the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, which commissioned the poll. “It might be a lose-lose situation for the mayor.”

For the team, Berry said, “It’s a bit of a reality check in terms of what they’re asking for.”

After previously getting turned down by state officials for taxpayer funding to help replace Soldier Field on the city’s lakefront, team officials have turned their focus to building a new stadium in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.

The Bears spent $197 million to buy the former Arlington International Racecourse as the site of a new domed stadium on which they plan to spend more than $2 billion with no public money

But the Bears need state lawmakers to approve a law allowing the team to negotiate long-term property tax rates with local schools and other taxing bodies, and want public bodies to contribute toward up to $855 million in infrastructure costs such as roads and the nearby Metra railroad, as is common for large projects. Team officials did not immediately comment on the findings.

Survey respondents were split on how much Chicago’s professional sports teams contribute to the city’s economy: 47% say the teams make a major economic contribution, while 45% say the impact is minor. The team’s consultant predicts the stadium would generate billions of dollars in economic activity, though other economic research generally shows that tax subsidies for sports stadiums have a low return on investment.

Asked whether they think professional sports teams are important to Chicago’s identity, a majority answered yes, with only 15% saying that the city’s pro teams are not very important or not at all important.

The random survey of 1,361 adults in Chicago, meant to approximate the city’s demographics, was conducted in September by online by NORC at the University of Chicago, which conducts quarterly surveys on a variety of topics.

A previous non-scientific survey of Arlington Heights residents by the anti-tax subsidy group Americans for Prosperity had similar results, with most people welcoming the team, but not wanting to spend tax dollars to do so.

The results highlight the need for officials to get creative about how to accommodate the team, Berry said. He noted that the state of Illinois plans to spend some $500 million on a quantum computing and microelectronics park.

Perhaps a public-private partnership, in which the Chicago Park District allows the Bears to manage Soldier Field, could be part of a solution, he suggested.

“There are ways to sweeten the pot that don’t involve millions of dollars,” Berry said. “Maybe at this point it’s too far gone, but my sense is Arlington Heights is far from a done deal.”

rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com