After several area school districts combined forces — and cash — to hire a Springfield lobbyist related to the Chicago Bears’ anticipated move to Arlington Heights, the town’s Village Board voted to do the same.
Arlington Heights village trustees approved a consultant agreement with Mac Strategies Group Inc., calling for the firm to be paid $10,000 a month to lobby in Springfield on behalf of the village in an effort to protect the municipalities interests in the redevelopment of now-razed Arlington International Racecourse.
The contract is set to run Sept. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024.
“The Chicago Bears Football Club, the current owners of the property, and area school districts have already hired lobbyists to ensure that their interests are represented in Springfield,” Village Manager Randy Recklaus told the board at the Aug. 22 Village Board meeting. “Staff believes that given the unique nature and size of this redevelopment project, it’s just as important for the village to hire a team to look out for our legislative interests as it was for us to hire our own economic and traffic consultants as we did last fall.”
The village manager said he anticipates the redevelopment will require working with legislators.
In February, Palatine-based Township High School District 211 and Palatine School District 15, along with Arlington Heights-based Township High School District 214, collaborated to hire a Springfield lobbyist after news of legislation on megaprojects financing was introduced in the General Assembly.
Collectively, the three school districts represent some 35,000 area students across 19 elementary and middle schools, and 11 high schools. Each of the school districts, like the village of Arlington Heights, draws property tax revenue from the former racecourse site.
The Bears purchased the 326-acre land earlier this year, heightening anticipation that the football team would move from its lakefront home at Soldier Field in Chicago to the northwest suburb. The team has proposed a $5 billion redevelopment that would include an enclosed stadium, and accompanying residential and entertainment spaces.
Trustees voted 8-0 in favor of the contract with Mac Strategies.
“I have the utmost confidence in our internal personnel, our internal team to handle this challenge of the redevelopment of the Arlington Park property,” mayor Tom Hayes said at the meeting. “It’s coming to a kind of a critical point in the process where we do need some assistance down in Springfield, something we just don’t have, so I think this is a very worthwhile expenditure. Again, it’s not a done deal. We just want to make sure that our interests are protected and all of our stakeholders’ interests are protected as well. That’s the rationale behind the retention of a lobbyist.”
Village staff identified four lobbying firms, which were subsequently interviewed by Recklaus, select village staff and Mayor Tom Hayes, before the resolution was set forth for board approval.
Hayes agreed that, of the firms the village considered, Mac Strategies Group Inc. had the best overall proposal and plan.
Trustee Scott Shirley said at the meeting that the board’s action is not just about the Chicago Bears moving to the former racecourse site.
“There’s some legislation that’s being proposed that could actually hamstring us and our ability to develop that property to its fullest value,” Shirley said. “I think it’s important to mention to residents out there that this isn’t just us saying we want the Bears and that’s all we want. It’s more about protecting our interests.”
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.