That Ship Has Sailed

At least, that's what all the signs and rumors are pointing to:

• In a Hail Mary attempt to keep the Bears in Chicago, developers of the old Michael Reese Hospital site are going public with their dazzling plan to build a Bronzeville stadium and an adjacent mixed-use development — with a great lawn extending over Du Sable Lake Shore Drive all the way to Lake Michigan.

  Scott Goodman, principal of the Farpoint Development team that purchased the 48.6-acre site from the city, openly acknowledged that he has not met with the team, nor has he finalized the financing for either for the $3.2 billion dome or the $600 million in state money needed just to ready the site for development.

  Developed by architect Lamar Johnson, the striking renderings for a stadium and ancillary development at the Michael Reese site have been floating around behind the scenes for months. But Goodman refused to share them publicly for fear of alienating Bears President Kevin Warren.

  Sources said Goodman was warned if he did go public, it would nix any chance of persuading the Bears to take their Chicago sights off the lakefront parking lot south of Soldier Field and push them to the shuttered Arlington International Racecourse that they bought in 2022.

  Goodman said Friday his fear that the Bears could be as good as gone persuaded him to finally show his cards.

Even this guy thinks the Arlington Heights Bears is a done deal so he's dumping the facade of playing nice. 

The NFL Draft is scheduled for 24-26 April. The Bears move is expected to be announced shortly after. Word is that Conehead's approval rating will hit 2% that day.