$5bn efforts to keep Bears in Chicago fall through as team announce plans to build new stadium across state

The Chicago Bears appear to have made the decision to move to Northwest Indiana.

After months of speculation over whether the Bears would cross state lines out of Illinois, all signs now point to them moving to Indiana to build their new stadium.

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According to CBS News, a legislative hearing in Springfield due to have taken place in Illinois on Thursday morning that would impact the Bears’ future in Chicago was canceled.

The hearing was reportedly scheduled for a vote to be conducted on a controversial proposal to offer the NFL franchise tax incentives and infrastructure support for a new stadium to be built in the northwest suburb of Arlington Heights in Chicago.

The Bears, valued at $8.2bn, purchased the 326-acre site of the Arlington Park racetrack property for $197 million in February 2023, where they were expected to break ground on a $5 billion redevelopment project slated to open in 2029.

Back in December, though, Bears President and CFO Kevin Warren stunned the league when he penned an open later admitting that there was frustration building around the state of negotiations around this site.

He therefore revealed that the team were expanding their search to the wider region, including that of northwest Indiana.

Now, Indiana lawmakers have now announced that they have struck a deal with one of the NFL’s oldest franchises to potentially bring the Bears to the proposed Hammond site.

“It represents a transformational investment for northwest Indiana and our state,” House Speaker Todd Huston told the House ways and means committee on Thursday, via IndyStar.

Huston also shared that the Bears are willing to invest an estimated $2 billion on a stadium site which will be state-owned.

Using Senate Bill 27, Indiana lawmakers have outlined their own set of investment promises in order to bring their plans into fruition.

“The passage of SB 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date,” the Bears said in a statement, via NFL insider Ian Rapoport on Thursday.

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“We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana.

“We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator Mishler and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe.

“We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to build our working relationship together.”

The proposed Hammond site in Wolf Lake is in fact slightly closer to Chicago’s Soldier Field than the proposed Arlington Heights site.

“We all know why the Bears are pitting states against each other … That said, I just out of curiosity mapped it, and Wolf Lake is 19 miles from Chicago,” NFL insider Albert Breer posted to X.

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“Arlington Heights is 25 miles away. I guess the difference would be the Indiana site is farther for most Bears fans?”

Indiana Governor speaks out

Following the announcement of their intentions to lure the Bears – with it not yet being 100 percent confirmed – Indiana Governor Mike Braun took to X (formerly Twitter) to post a statement.

“Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears,” Braun wrote on Thursday.

“We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal.

“If approved, the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 27 puts forward the essential framework to complete this agreement, contingent upon site due diligence proceeding smoothly.

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“The State of Indiana moves at the speed of business, and we’ve demonstrated that through our quick coordination between state agencies, local government, and the legislature to set the stage for a huge win for all Hoosiers.

“We have built a strong relationship with the Bears organization that will serve as the foundation for a public-private partnership, leading to the construction of a world-class stadium and a win for taxpayers.”

Since this statement was made, the Indiana bill SB-27 has now unanimously passed 24-0, according to long-time Bears insider Ben Devine.

The Bears will soon leave behind Soldier Field – their home for over 100 years – and Illinois for good.

Whether that means they will see a change in name, though, is uncertain.

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