Frustrated by Illinois tax hurdles, the Chicago Bears are eyeing Hammond, Indiana, for their new stadium, marking a dramatic pivot in the team’s ongoing stadium saga.
The Chicago Bears announced a significant change in their pursuit of a new stadium on Friday morning.
Here is the statement the Bears released from chairman George McCaskey and president and CEO Kevin Warren.
“Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected. We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
This shift from the charter franchise comes just days after Illinois failed to pass legislation that would give the Bears property tax certainty, something the team has been pursuing from the early stages of this stadium saga.
In regards to the Bears' statement, the line "with the exact site to be selected" is interesting. Does that mean the Bears don't have the new location narrowed down or they do and haven't officially decided.
Regardless, the statement is ambiguous and maybe that's intentional.
Like many Bears fans, it's hard to believe anything is finalized until shovels officially go in the ground and something physical is built or the Bears sell the 326 acres of land they bought in Arlington Heights, which was initially intended to be used for Chicago's state-of-the-art stadium.
ESPN's Courtney Cronin shared some insight she gathered from a source on the recent shift to Hammond.
Even though Indiana may be in the lead right now, that doesn't mean that is where the new Bears stadium will be.
Remembers when Arlington Heights was the focus and then that shifted to the Chicago lakefront and then back to Arlington Heights and eventually Hammond? This situation isn't over.
Indiana governor Mika Braun issued a statement on Friday welcoming the Bears.
"Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state!" the governor said. We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the '85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come.An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before."
While Indiana appears to be celebrating the arrival of another NFL franchise to their state, Illinois has a much different tone. Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Emanuel "Chris" Welch issued this statement on social media on Friday.
"While Indiana is willing to raise taxes and promise $1 billion in taxpayer funds, Illinois has focused on the needs of working families who want relief at the gas pump, at the store, and on their insurance bills-not taxpayer-funded stadiums," Welch said. "Illinois remains open to ongoing efforts to secure the Bears in Illinois."
