McCook sweetens deal for Bears

McCook Mayor Terrance Carr has launched a full blitz to land the Chicago Bears.

Eager to make the village more attractive to the franchise seeking to build a new stadium—and hoping to outdo suitors in Hammond and Arlington Heights—Carr has sweetened the deal by proposing a year-long entertainment complex.

At the latest village board meeting on July 7, each elected official wore a navy blue T-shirt with the Bears logo on the front, “McCook 26” on the back, and a logo celebrating the village’s 100th anniversary on the left sleeve.

Village Trustee Jerry Bubash embraced the spirit when he recalled that in 1980, “a bunch of college kids beat the best hockey team in the world.”

That reference to the American team that won the Winter Olympics gold medal in Lake Placid, New York—often called “The Miracle on Ice”—suggests another miracle might be possible for McCook, Bubash said.

After the meeting, visitors were treated to food from a Joey’s Red Hots food truck as part of the village’s centennial celebration.

They ate at tables in the fire department garage near large renderings of what Carr wants to build on 150 acres of filled-in quarry land at the southeast corner of East Avenue and 55th Street.

The centerpiece is an 80,000-seat domed football stadium beside a music theater with a retractable roof. There are also upscale restaurants, a hotel, a skating rink and an area for tailgating on the closed portion of Joliet Road.

Given the nation’s passion for sports betting, Carr wants a gambling presence similar to one connected to Wrigley Field.

“You gotta gamble,” Carr said. “My favorite is food truck row. And we’ll have premium tailgating on old Route 66.”

Sound ambitious? Sure. Crazy? Some may think so. But as hockey legend Wayne Gretzky once noted, “you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Following Gretzky’s advice, Carr is shooting with both barrels as he pursues one of the NFL’s founding franchises for tiny McCook.

“It’s a longshot,” Carr said. “But I’ve got the property and I’ve got the will.”

Carr has not heard from the Bears since he and several other village officials hand-delivered letters to Bears brass in June.

“I’ll give you 150 acres. We’ve got music row, food truck row. You ever see The Sphere in Las Vegas? We’ll have The Cube in McCook. Four-sided. It’s out of this world,” Carr said.

“Like I said from the start, I’m not quitting because I’m not scared. And at the end of the day, I’ve got to develop 150 acres in my town. Whether it’s the Bears, the White Sox, a racino, a data center, whatever it is, it is,” Carr said.

Asked what happens if his proposal falls on deaf ears in Lake Forest, Carr smiled.

“What’s the worst thing they can do? Tell me no? I’m not going to cry,” he said.

“If they’re smart, the Bears will stay quiet and let us all fight it out. They said they will make a decision by the time training camp opens. I’ll bet anything they won’t make a decision by then,” Carr said.

For those keeping score at home, rookies and quarterbacks report to training camp on July 25.

“Here’s the thing,” Carr said. “No matter where they go—whether it’s McCook, Arlington Heights, or Indiana—you’ve got two years for design and engineering, then another three years for construction. So you’re talking five years. 2031 would be the earliest they’d open.”

Glancing at the renderings, Village Trustee Robert Mandekich said, “It’s the whole package. Why not McCook? Sounds like a good deal for McCook. We’ll see what happens.”

Nodding toward the mayor, Bubash said, “This guy is amazing. He comes up with some terrific ideas. If you don’t try, how do you know? What have you got to lose?”

McCook resident Betty Salinas, 58, who has lived in McCook for eight years, likes the mayor’s ambition.

“I’m not really a football fan, but if it brings my property value up, I’m all for it. Would I like the crowds? Probably not. But I work in the area, so that would bring more money in,” she said.

Marcus Larson, 51, director of the McCook Park District, loves the idea.

“You can’t get involved unless you attempt it. He’s swinging for the fences,” Larson said.

Noting the lack of progress on a new stadium, Carr said: “Nobody is in the red zone. We’re all on the 50-yard line.”