Bears Arlington Heights? As the race track goes on sale, there is no shortage of redevelopment ideas: report

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) – Following the announcement Tuesday of the sale of the Arlington International Racecourse, ideas began to be thrown on the next step to be taken with the installation.

The owners of the racetrack said they hoped to sell the land to a promoter and transfer the racing license to another location in Illinois.

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“It was a sad day in Arlington Heights when the news finally broke,” said Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes. “I certainly think it was a business fatality for Churchill Downs that they were going to put the track up for sale at some point.”

Hayes told the Daily Herald there are a number of potential redevelopment options for the facility that fall under the “mixed use” rubric.

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Some of the ideas range from a new stadium for the Chicago Bears to a Ravinia-style concert hall.

Right now, the owners of the track in the northwest suburbs have said they are committed to holding the 2021 racing season as planned.