Originally posted as an X article on my account.

Back in 2023, optimism ran high in Arlington Heights. The Bears had purchased the former racetrack property, and hopes of a long-awaited new stadium were in the air. Then… Illinois politics happened.

As always, progress would depend not just on vision, but on navigating a dense political thicket. The Bears and their dance partner, the Village of Arlington Heights, had to begin with the local school districts—the largest stakeholders in any Illinois property tax conversation. I laid out those early negotiations in my last article.

But if you just got off the boat, Jefferson-style, and you’re wondering “what did I miss?”—let’s rewind.

The MOU signed in December 2024 revealed the start of what’s now clearly a two-track strategy. One track uses a familiar tool: the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district, something any municipality can create. The other is new, more ambitious, and still uncertain: a proposed “mega project” financing concept called PILOT—Payment In Lieu Of Taxes.

The Village is charging ahead on the TIF track, because it can. It’s a playbook municipalities know well. Under a TIF district, property tax revenue is frozen at current levels, and any new revenue generated from rising property values—the "increment"—is funneled back into the project area to pay for infrastructure and public improvements. It allows a municipality to self-finance development without raising taxes, but it also means other taxing bodies, like school districts, don’t see immediate benefit unless surplus revenues are declared.

In Arlington Heights, the TIF groundwork is being laid. The village has already begun the necessary studies—traffic, infrastructure, fiscal impact—that precede formal designation of a TIF district. On March 3, 2025, the Village Board unanimously approved entering into an amended agreement with TYLin to conduct the traffic and parking analysis needed to support the Bears’ concept plan—paid for by the team and reimbursed by the Village. This is the mechanism already in motion, and it’s something the village can do on its own timeline. That said, it still requires coordination: approval from a Joint Review Board (for the record, yours truly currently serves as chairman of a Joint Review Board in Wisconsin), including the impacted school districts, is part of the process. Thanks to the MOU, their votes now carry weighted influence tied to the proportion of property taxes they levy.

But PILOT is another story entirely. It requires action from Springfield, and as of today, no bill has been filed. It's a legislative Hail Mary that could redefine how massive developments are financed in Illinois—but only if it makes it out of committee alive.

PILOT: TIF on Steroids?

PILOT is essentially TIF supercharged. Under the TIF Act, a district can last up to 23 years, with the possibility of a 12-year extension—but that extension requires approval from the Illinois General Assembly. That works fine for housing or commercial projects. But for something the size and scope of a professional football stadium? A longer runway is required.

Enter PILOT.

PILOT takes that theoretical 12-year TIF extension and builds it in upfront. It increases the maximum window to 40 years—17 more than the base 23—and kicks it off immediately, rather than waiting for legislative intervention years down the line. It's a plan aimed at providing the kind of long-term tax certainty a project of this size needs.

The Bears clearly see it as essential. They already have support from the Village, and with the MOU, they now have the school districts on board as well. That lays the groundwork for what they hope will be a legislative follow-through.

We got a preview of this effort back in 2023, when Senator Ann Gillespie introduced SB1350, describing it as a way to "start the conversation" on PILOT. Rep. Mark Walker filed a companion bill in the House (HB3565), and Rep. Marty Moylan emerged as the key advocate, explicitly referencing the 40-year model and a $3 admission surcharge to help fund it.

PILOT Now or PILOT Later?

So with TIF underway and PILOT on deck, the question becomes: how soon do the Bears need PILOT?

The short answer: as soon as possible.

A development this large needs stability. Investors and financial backers want as much predictability as they can get. With the school districts aligned, the Bears now have 23 years of tax certainty on the horizon. What they want—and arguably need—is the rest.

Of course, anything involving Springfield carries its own baggage. PILOT legislation will require dealmaking, compromises, and probably a few political IOUs. There’s the lingering matter of the Bears' former flame, the City of Chicago. Don’t be surprised if some concession is floated for Soldier Field’s reuse as part of the package.

And then there are the offsetting revenues: admission taxes, hotel taxes, restaurant taxes, and gambling taxes—all in the mix as non-traditional funding sources to reduce reliance on general taxpayer funds.

When might it all come together? Hard to say. But one thing is clear: until this gets sorted, no dirt moves in Arlington Heights. There's still a long way to go before the Bears break ground on their future home.