The Chicago Bears took one different step in direction of a doable new stadium on the Arlington Worldwide Racecourse site when the village of Arlington Heights on Friday issued for inside demolition of the grandstand, office and jockey developing on the racetrack.
Arlington Heights spokesperson Avis Meade confirmed that the village had authorised plans for the first part of demolition on the earlier racetrack, marking one different switch in direction of a $5 billion NFL stadium and accompanying mixed-use residential, enterprise and leisure district the workforce has proposed to assemble on the 326-acre racetrack in Arlington Heights.
“Elevated truck site visitors as a result of inside demolition is feasible within the space and the property will proceed to be monitored by safety 24 hours a day, 7 days per week,” Meade wrote in an e mail to Pioneer Press.
A Bears advisor confirmed the workforce had been permitted to begin work and said they anticipated to begin out the tactic Tuesday. The workforce received’t use explosives or implosion to execute the job, they said.
Meade said the village and Cook dinner County would overview and approve functions for demolition of the skin buildings on the placement. Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said earlier this month that the village had fielded a wide range of questions and suggestions from residents regarding the workforce’s request to do demolition work. He said the village board didn’t have the authority to approve or deny the workforce’s request.
The Arlington Heights Constructing and Life Security Division moreover obtained a second software program for demolition of the development itself. All knowledgeable, the workforce expects the wrecking work to worth about $3.8 million, their functions current.
This enable issued Friday covers the within demolition of the grandstand, two-story office and jockey developing at Arlington Park. The village has printed a guests plan for eradicating demolition particles on its site.
The workforce’s software program for inside demolition estimates that the worth of the work is about $1.48 million.
A summary of the endeavor obtained in a Freedom of Info Request states that the workforce will gut the inside of the buildings and “minimize and cap” utilities like water, electrical and gasoline.
Work to demolish the grandstand, west entrance, jockey developing, paddock, office, east entrance, concession stand, most necessary shed, scoreboard and guard dwelling is able to worth about $2.34 million, according to paperwork the membership submitted to the village.
The Bears will use a St.-Charles based totally contractor, Alpine Demolition Companies, to execute the job, according to software program provides.
The Bears first utilized to begin demolition work the day after Crain’s Chicago Enterprise reported that Cook dinner County Assessor Fritz Kaegi had raised the price of the property to about $197 million.
The land sale formally closed in February 2023, larger than a yr after the workforce agreed to purchase it from former proprietor and operator Churchill Downs, Inc.
The workforce is in the mean time stopping a wide-ranging property tax battle with a trio of school districts whose funds might take profitable from property tax breaks meant to help the workforce develop the placement.
A listening to on the Cook dinner County Board of Assessment on the most recent property tax analysis is prepared for June 2. Although Churchill Downs will be on the hook for that payment, the evaluation up for argument on the listening to might even determine the following two years’ worth of property tax funds the workforce pays to Cook dinner County.
In the meantime, the varsity districts and the workforce have been locked in a standoff regarding how rather a lot the workforce must pay in property taxes. The school districts have steered the workforce select a land price of $95 million, which Group President Kevin Warren often known as a “nonstarter.”
In Springfield, lawmakers’ concepts have moved on from a quartet of proposals geared in direction of providing the workforce with monetary assist to maneuver from Chicago’s Soldier Subject to Arlington Heights. Essentially the most up-to-date measure, an modification to an earlier proposal filed by Rep. Marty Moylan, a Des Plaines Democrat, has native assist from former village trustee and freshman Rep. Mary Beth Canty, an Arlington Heights Democrat.
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