The Village of Arlington Heights provided a nervous presentation with inadequate audio quality Friday, January 16, 2026 at 10:00 a.m./Press Conference begins at elapsed time 25:45 (SOURCE: Village of Arlington Heights/Low Audio, NBC has better audio below). YouTube Tips ⓘ
The Village of Arlington Heights presented an odd press conference “Keep the Bears in Illinois” with government officials, department heads, and union members in attendance.
The audio had a technical problem with inadequate volume, and several people complained about the low audio on the YouTube chat. Volume on a computer needed to be turned up to maximum, and the volume was still not adequate.
Not his normal smooth self, Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia seemed especially nervous during his presentation.
“We can’t fumble this opportunity.
— Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia
Retiring in 2027, Democratic Illinois Senate member Mark L. Walker emphatically highlighted the beneficial features of the former Arlington Park location for a Chicago Bears stadium development. Walker also mentioned that a great amount of work towards the stadium planning has already been completed, including ramps for Route 53. His presentation today was a far different attitude from the attitude he had when he attended a gun buyback event at St. Simon’s Church in July 2023, and spoke with CARDINAL NEWS. He seemed skeptical about the project, and mentioned the project has a long way to go.
In March 2024 then State Rep. Mark Walker mentioned the possibility of a Welcoming Center for immigrant new arrivals in Arlington Heights at the former Arlington Park site.
“If they go forward with their lakefront plan, it’s our responsibility to make the best decision for Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, and our neighboring communities as well.
I look forward to the many interesting proposals to come on the future of Arlington Park like new business development, more affordable housing, or welcoming centers for new arrivals.”
— State Rep. Mark Walker (currently State Senator)
“The Bears need speed because the cost of building a stadium are going up geometrically because much of the material used to build a stadium is impacted by tariffs.”
— State Rep. Mark Walker (currently State Senator)
Village Trustee Wendy Dunnington criticized the Chicago Bears electronic billboard, which is located on their own property and faces Route 53. Dunnington even entertained the idea of having the billboard taken down, and criticized a character on the sign that was blacked out due to a failure. The Village of Arlington Heights requested that a Chicago Bears official attend a Village Board meeting while the board members scrutinized the billboard before voting on an extension for the billboard. The Village Board then approved the billboard, while Trustee Wendy Dunnington was the only board member to vote against approving the extension for allowing the electronic billboard. The Village Board had a condition that the Chicago Bears fix the missing character that was on the sign. Although the board was kind to the Bears representatives, the overall attitude of the Village Board didn’t seem all that welcoming to the Chicago Bears in regard to the new stadium project on the day of that Village Board meeting in June 2024. The scrutiny also focused on special conditions because of the location of the Chicago Bears billboard near Route 53, and was compared to another billboard in Arlington Heights on Rand Road near Chestnut Avenue that is being ordered taken down.
Village Manager Randy Recklaus was in favor of allowing the billboard to continue operation, but the Village Board acted as if Arlington Heights is too hoity toity for billboards, which are not permitted in any other locations in Arlington Heights.
“It’s one of those areas that, kind of when you’re driving on 53, you really don’t know you’re in Arlington Heights and you see other billboards so this is something we felt was a unique circumstance.”
— Randy Recklaus, Village Manager
One could imagine this left the Chicago Bears wondering, if the village is this fussy about a billboard, we might have a long road to go in Arlington Heights getting plans approved in Arlington Heights.
The Village of Arlington Heights apparently is very late in putting the blitz on state officials in Illinois.
The Village of Arlington Heights mentioned the press conference on Facebook only 20 minutes before the press conference began.
Arlington Heights mayor makes urgent plea for Bears to stay in Illinois: ‘We cannot fumble this’ (NBC Chicago). YouTube Tips ⓘ
^^ MOBILE? USE VOICE MIC ^^
facebook …
Please ‘LIKE’ the ‘Arlington Cardinal Page. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
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THANKS FOR READING CARDINAL NEWS
Indiana lawmakers introduce bill enhancing framework for potential Chicago Bears move to the state (ABC 7 Chicago). YouTube Tips ⓘ
Selected comments from the Village of Arlington Heights YouTube chat …
They should plug in the microphone.
Can we get a microphone for the media? Can’t hear the question.
terrible audio
Need to speak closer to microphone
Yeah.. cant hear it
can’t hear the questions
Can’t hear the tough question!
No raise in resident taxes, no matter what! We already pay enough.
Selected comments from Village of Arlington Heights Facebook …
Village of Arlington Heights, if the city of Dekalb, IL can give a 55% tax break for a 20 year term to Meta to build their $1B data center than in my opinion arlington heights can work a tax break deal to keep the bears stadium.
Tell the governor to update the infrastructure around the new stadium. It is on him.
Our governor can afford to reach in his pocket and build a stadium himself with a few billion left over. But no, let’s give the Bears to Indiana.
By comparison, the tax bill is $8 million at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, $6.1 million at the United Center in Chicago and $2.7 million at Wrigley Field. Arlington Heights for Bears – $200 million.
Have the village and county grant them tax incentive exemption for 12 years and then have the Bears reapply again and again.
Can anyone explain WHY they need a new stadium? Just cuz? Collective ego?
The village only cares about the tax money from that project. Spending money that they don’t have yet. And if you think taxes are gonna go down if this plan comes fruition, you are out of your mind. 
Keep the Bears, get rid of the governor!
It’s hard to even care anymore.
Keep them in Chicago
It’s all about the taxes. The 7% property tax rate is bananas. A 3b stadium would result in a 200m a year tax bill. United Center is 6.1m, Wrigley Field is 2.7m and SoFi in California a very similar project is 8m.
When there was an active horse racing track there the tax bill was 3m.
Let them go and take the scrubs with them.
When your state is flat broke, isnt prepared for an opportunity, this is exactly what we get.
The knuckleheads that run the village have killed the Bears deal and now they want to hold a press conference to cry about it?
The village manager probably just needs another raise. This time maybe Gary Indiana should foot the bill.
