The city of Naperville is launching its own bid to try to lure the Chicago Bears to its sprawling western suburbs.
The proposal comes as talks with Arlington Heights stalled amid disagreements between the team and the surrounding suburbs over taxation and school districts.
Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli on May 24 sent a letter to the Bears, asking the team to meet and discuss available properties in the western suburbs, according to a letter provided to the Sun-Times by the city of Naperville.
The Bears have scheduled a meeting with Wehrli in Naperville for Friday — and the team is open to accepting proposals outside of the Arlington Heights site, according to a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
“Last week, Mayor Wehrli contacted the Chicago Bears organization to introduce Naperville as a thriving community with many opportunities for business investment,” Naperville spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said in a statement.
“With economic development one of his key focuses, the Mayor will continue to highlight the benefits Naperville has to businesses across Chicagoland and across the nation.”
This is an evolving story