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Mayor Tinaglia calls state's failure on Arlington Park redevelopment a "fumble"
Summary
Mayor John Tinaglia told the Village Board he was "disappointed" the Illinois legislature did not pass measures to facilitate redevelopment of Arlington Park, described the result as a "fumble," and said the village will continue to pursue planning and engagement with stakeholders including the Bears organization.
Mayor John Tinaglia opened the June 1 Village Board meeting with a public statement about the stalled effort to redevelop Arlington Park after the Illinois General Assembly failed to pass enabling legislation this session. Tinaglia said the village and its staff "have spent the past five years working diligently to prepare for the redevelopment of Arlington Park" and called the legislative outcome "a fumble" for the state.
Tinaglia told residents the village remains committed to community engagement and thoughtful planning as future opportunities are considered. "The Village of Arlington Heights is disappointed that Springfield did not pass any legislation to facilitate the proposed redevelopment of Arlington Park this session," he said, calling the property "one of the largest and most important redevelopment opportunities" for the region.
The mayor acknowledged the process involves many stakeholders and said the village will continue discussions with the Bears organization and others. He repeatedly framed the result as a setback, not a final outcome: "I don't think the game is over ... I think that this play was a fumble," he said, adding that the spotlight now is on the Bears organization and other parties to propose next steps.
The mayor made the remarks before moving on to routine agenda items; he did not take questions on the statement during that portion of the meeting.
