Mayor Wehrli Statement

I’m committed to transparency and wanted to share an update on an item that various media outlets recently reported. 

I, along with members of the Naperville Development Partnership and city staff, and a city council representative, have recently held conversations with the leadership of the Chicago Bears about potential business opportunities in Naperville. 

Discussions like this are standard and principled economic development practice, especially in a competitive regional environment like ours.

However, these conversations are just that – conversations.

No development proposal was submitted to the city.

No incentives were discussed, requested, or offered by either party in the meetings.

No decisions have been made by anyone at City Hall. 

We will follow our established procedures if an idea evolves into an official development proposal.

Our City applies a robust public input and review process, including numerous opportunities for community input, review by relevant boards and commissions, and ultimately a public process before the city council. 

Finding ways to put underutilized commercial properties back to work, especially in our East-West Tollway corridor, is mission-critical for our community as we strive to keep our schools funded and our property tax rate low.

Exploring new ideas, engaging in discussions, and doing our due diligence with potential investors or users is in the best interest of our community. 

We will continue to work as a team to attract jobs, investment, and economic opportunity to keep Naperville one of the best communities in America.