The Chicago Bears appear to be taking a big step toward their plan of having a new stadium on the lakefront in Chicago.
The Bears issued a press release on Monday, announcing that they will reveal the stadium plans for the lakefront during a press conference at Soldier Field on Wednesday.
The #Bears will hold a press conference on Wednesday to announce plans for a new publicly owned stadium on the lakefront: pic.twitter.com/wW28nYtQlq
— Kevin Powell (@kpowell720) April 22, 2024
For much of the past two months, there has been the indication that the Bears are shifting their stadium plans from Arlington Heights to the lakefront. While many have held a stance that the Bears' flirtation with remaining in the city is a part of the masterplan of Kevin Warren getting a better deal with the Arlington Heights property, Wednesday's press conference is going to add a public element that may put that idea officially to bed.
It's important to distinguish that Wednesday's press conference is only to reveal the stadium renderings and plans for the lakefront location, not that a deal has been officially reached. Having said that, with news that city officials and stakeholders will be present at the press conference, this would certainly be a sign that the momentum is leaning heavily toward the Bears remaining in the city.
The Chicago Bears continue to give the impression that their new stadium will be on the lakefront.
The telling sign would be if Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is a part of the contingency at Soldier Field on Wednesday. Given the PR hit that Johnson would take by publicly being a part of the stadium plans' reveal and then the Bears still moving to Arlington Heights, his attendance, if it happens, will certainly be notable.
Wednesday will kick off an important 48 hours for the Bears' organization as after the reveal of the stadium plans, the team will be selecting Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night.