Arlington Heights is a suburban neighbor to O’Hare airport and about a 40-minute drive from downtown Chicago. The village is one of the largest in the northwest suburbs and is home to what was, until last weekend, the world-renowned Arlington International Racecourse.

Interactive map: More from our community reporting series

As announced earlier this week, Arlington could be the Chicago Bears’ new home before the end of the decade.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity for the village,” Mayor Thomas Hayes said. “As I said before this was officially announced, my goal was always to put this property to its highest and best use and I can’t really think of a better and higher use than this one. Really a once in a lifetime opportunity for us as a village, as a northwest region, and for the Chicago Bears as well to develop this property into something they can call their own.”

Video: Watch our full interview with Thomas Hayes.

After a nearly 100-year run, the community is saying goodbye to Arlington International Racecourse.

Tony Petrillo, longtime Arlington Heights resident and president of Arlington International Racecourse for the past 20 years, says he is choosing to focus on the positive side of things.

“I’m very much an optimist,” Petrillo said. “I tend to focus on blessings instead of curses. This was very much a blessing to work with such a great group of people who were very dedicated to something we call the ‘Arlington way.’”

Video: Watch our full interview with Tony Petrillo.

The move could also result in a large economic boost to local businesses.

“It opens the doors to a lot of possibilities, and I see the leadership in the community coming together,” said Jon Ridler, executive director of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce. “Being part of the conversation is going to be exciting but also the businesses are starting to think how they can leverage this opportunity to have this in our backyard.”

One of those businesses is Passero, one of the many restaurants located in the downtown area, which offers a blend of American and Italian cuisine.

Passero, one of the many restaurants located in the downtown area, which offers a blend of American and Italian cuisine. (WTTW News)

“I’m very excited for it and I think it would be another great step and addition to the village. It’s already a great place to have a business and this will only just help it,” said owner Matt Peota.

Hayes says that Arlington Heights has been bouncing back strongly, both socially and economically, from the pandemic.

“We really did much better than we expected to do from an economic standpoint,” Hayes said. “The village itself has really lost only about half of the revenue we expected to lose from sales and food and beverage taxes.

Peota says he’s grateful for the community and the Chamber of Commerce for coming together to support local businesses. Ridler says only a handful of restaurants are permanently closed.

Affordable housing has also been a priority. On the corner of Chestnut and Rand Road is a vacant lot where the latest four-story affordable housing complex is set to be built.

On the corner of Chestnut and Rand Road is a vacant lot where the latest four-story affordable housing complex is set to be built. (Courtesy Village of Arlington Heights)

“We are standing on a 2.4-acre vacant piece of property,” said Charles Witherington-Perkins, director of planning and community development with the Village of Arlington Heights. “It has been vacant for 19 years. It used to have a restaurant on the site many years ago.”

Despite concerns from some neighbors about a proposed 40-unit affordable housing complex, Witherington-Perkins says it will offer an economical option for residents.

“We are a very job rich area and many of those jobs are service related jobs so they are healthcare or teaching aid. Those are not the most high paying jobs,” Witherington-Perkins said. “The rents are fairly high in this particular area so having affordable housing will allow people to live, work and play in the area,” he added.

With about 70% of the population fully vaccinated, Ridler says he is optimistic about the changes to come.

“It’s that collaborative effort that people really respect one another and we want to continue to see that growth,” Ridler said.

If you’re looking for more to do in the area, Arlington Heights will be hosting the Harmony Fest, an outdoor block party, on Friday and Saturday.