The Chicago Bears have been in pursuit of a new stadium for years and they may finally be getting close to a positive resolution that meets their needs. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as well as Bears officials Kevin Warren and George McCaskey regarding a path towards building a new stadium in Arlington Heights, a Chicago suburb in Illinois.
The Bears have already scouted out two parcels of land and come to a contingency with Hammond, Indiana, but the goal has always been to build a new stadium in Illinois.
If the Illinois legislature votes to approve a stadium authority quickly, that could give the Bears the impetus that is needed to build the new facility in Illinois. If it is approved, the project would be exempt from property taxes. It would also ensure that Illinois taxpayers would only help pay for infrastructure, such as roads but not the stadium itself. That would be paid for by the Bears and the NFL.
The Bears are still giving strong consideration to two different sites in Hammond, and it is becoming clear that the Bears would turn to Indiana if the Illinois politicians fail to approve the project. While it appears that Pritzker is in favor of this project, it does not mean that Illinois politicians would follow suit. However, Pritzker was re-elected to his position Tuesday by landslide proportions, and that could help the Bears meet their goals
One of the keys is how soon the project could be approved by the state of Illinois. Further delays could shift the likelihood of the stadium project back to Indiana.