The chicago bears said their Board of Directors voted to advance a multi-billion dollar indoor stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, while the exact site remains to be selected.
The team confirmed it chose a 340-acre area in Hammond over its Arlington Heights property after state and local officials in Indiana offered financial commitments and infrastructure support that the Bears described as providing needed certainty.
Team officials told reporters that Indiana lawmakers approved legislation to support the project and that state and local leaders pledged hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements around the proposed site.
Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said the team needed tax certainty before moving forward and highlighted that Indiana's proposal would allow the team to lease a publicly financed stadium without paying property taxes.
Warren was pictured alongside Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. at Lost Marsh Golf Club following meetings with local and state officials focused on a Wolf Lake area location, which city leaders say is the most viable site.
Reactions Risks And Local Response
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said the Bears chose Hammond because the city offers opportunity and possibility and called the project transformative for Northwest Indiana.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun welcomed the move in a statement, saying the partnership will create opportunities and economic growth that benefit the state and the team.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker acknowledged the team might move to Indiana, saying he was not willing to use taxpayer dollars to fund a private, billionaire-owned corporation; Pritzker added that lawmakers in Illinois failed to pass the measure the Bears sought.
The stalled Illinois proposal, described as a mega-projects bill, would have allowed a mostly Bears-funded stadium to be publicly owned and exempt the team from property taxes; the measure passed the Senate but stalled in the House, according to reporting.
Local business owners and longtime fans expressed mixed reactions, with some Arlington Heights residents and operators saying they were surprised and disappointed, while Northwest Indiana residents urged Chicagoans to give the move a chance.
South Shore Line President Dave Dech said the rail service looks forward to evaluating options to help fans travel to and from games if a final decision is made.
Others, including longtime season ticket holders and Arlington Heights officials, said they remained skeptical until construction begins and renderings appear, and the village maintained its focus on serving residents and supporting local businesses.
