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There never has been a better time to be associated with Chicago Bears star Brian Urlacher.

His name is everywhere leading up to the Super Bowl Feb. 4, making the former University of New Mexico and Lovington High standout an even bigger international icon than ever before.

The city of Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and a fledgling Arena 2 Football franchise, however, aren't in a position to cash in on the wave of success surrounding Urlacher.

He is part owner of an arena football franchise for the Albuquerque metro area, but the group is still hunting for a venue that will dictate how quickly it can bring semi-professional football to the Duke City.

"We want to be playing football right now, but we have to make sure we choose the best possible venue for our team," said Robert Harris, president of Albuquerque Arena Football.

The football franchise's ownership is choosing between Rio Rancho's Santa Ana Star Center and Albuquerque's pending Downtown Arena.

Albuquerque officials next month will begin negotiations with the ABQ Downtown Development Team, a consortium of companies led by Dallas-based Garfield Traub Development, said Ed Adams, the city's chief operating officer.

An ad hoc committee convened by the city ranked the group highest on a list of three teams that made arena development pitches, Adams said.

The proposal submitted by the ABQ Downtown Development Team, which includes Hunt Development Group LP, developer of the ABQ Uptown shopping complex, features a 16,000-seat arena, 420-room hotel, 60 upscale rental apartments and 50,000-square-feet of retail and restaurant space.

Adams said the next step is to launch into negotiations with the group to establish terms and parameters for construction of the arena. The second-ranked group is a backup if the city can't reach a viable financial agreement with the first construction team, he said.

Once an agreement is reached, the proposal would move on to the City Council before work can begin on Albuquerque's arena.

"We're too early in the process and there are too many variables to say when we might begin construction," Adams said.

Harris said the arena football ownership group is being patient, letting Albuquerque wade through the construction process before making any major decisions.

It doesn't hurt the Duke City that Bill Dutton, the arena football franchise's managing general partner, has been a big advocate for the Downtown arena and previously pushed to be part of a construction group building the facility.

The city has declined to identify any groups involved with the latest round of construction proposals.

Harris said the arena football group isn't ruling out Rio Rancho.

The city won the veritable arms race with Albuquerque, building the Santa Ana Star Center before its bigger neighbor even agreed to build a Downtown arena. Rio Rancho lured the Scorpions hockey franchise but has yet to seal a deal with the arena football group.

"We toured the Santa Ana Star Center, and it's a beautiful facility," Harris said. "We were really impressed by the amenities and know it would be a great home for any franchise."

Harris declined to say whether Albuquerque's decision on which construction team gets to build its new arena will determine where the arena football team sets up shop.

Once the red tape is finally sorted out, Urlacher's name will still be tied to the franchise.

He will still be an international football icon, but it would be hard to top the red-hot glow surrounding Urlacher during the next two weeks.

Harris was careful to say the arena football group is not trying to leverage Urlacher's latest success, regardless of how much his run to the Super Bowl could inevitably help the franchise.

"As is the case with everyone who has followed his career, we're very happy for Brian given all of the success he has achieved with the Bears this season," Harris said. "He has worked so hard to get where he is and deserves every bit of the accolades he has received for helping lead the Bears to the Super Bowl. Obviously we're pulling for a Bears victory, but win or lose, Brian has given our franchise a lot to be proud of with the way he conducts himself on and off the field."