The sale of the 326-acre Arlington Park property to the Chicago Bears is expected to close during the first half of 2023, Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said Thursday.
Hawthorne Race Course Thursday picked up one more of Arlington Park s shuttered off-track betting parlors this one, in Rockford giving the Cicero racetrack its maximum 16 allowed under state statute. But there s legislation proceeding in Springfield this week that would remove that cap.
Whether or not the Chicago Bears finalize the deal to buy Arlington Park, the two towns sure to be most impacted by gameday traffic are making preparations to resurface a major thoroughfare that will get fans to and from the potential stadium site.
The Illinois Racing Board Thursday granted Hawthorne Race Course s request to reopen Arlington Park s off-track betting parlor in Villa Park, but five other locations formerly operated by the Arlington Heights racetrack remain shuttered.