The Chicago Bears just completed their 12th training camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais and made a commitment for another nine summers.
While the contract extension was greeted with sighs of relief and smiles, the question that still remains unanswered is what exactly — in terms of dollars and cents — does the camp and the 100,000 or so fans it annually attracts mean to the region.
The answer could lie in an in-depth economic impact study — something that has yet to be completed.
"I think it's a valid question," said Bourbonnais village administrator Gregg Spathis, "but any impact study would need to be countywide, rather than just the village."
Agreed.
The cost of such a study would also have to be shared among the many jurisdictions and civic organizations that annually welcome the Bears with open arms.
"We need to know where we fall short, if we fall short and what do we do well," Spathis said.
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