Chicago Bears take another step towards move to Indiana, board votes to advance Hammond stadium plan

The Chicago Bears made their biggest step yet toward moving to Indiana, after the team's board of directors voted Thursday to build a stadium in Hammond, although it's still not a done deal yet.

Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey and President and CEO Kevin Warren confirmed the vote in a joint statement released on Friday.

"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, McCaskey and Warren said in a written statement. "It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses."

The exact site of the potential stadium has not been selected.  

Indiana Governor Mike Braun responded to the Bears' statement, saying, "Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state!" 

"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," Braun said. "An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven't seen before." 

Matt Hill, spokesperson for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, released the following statement: 

"The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location. That has hindered their progress. Today appears to be another instance of that after Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith. Governor Pritzker has always been clear that he wants the Bears to stay in Illinois and still remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers."

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the Bears' announcement is "not surprising."

"It's also not surprising that Bears officials have stated this vote does not mean a move to Hammond is a done deal," Johnson said. "Without a final site selection, until we see shovels in the ground in Hammond, the City will continue to engage in discussions grounded in the interests of our residents."

This comes after days after Johnson said he remains confident about Chicago being the best spot for a future Bears stadium, despite the team's repeated public assertions that the city is off the table.

The mayor said the Illinois General Assembly's failure to pass legislation supporting a Bears stadium project during their spring session is a chance to revisit his proposal for the team to stay in Chicago.

The Bears had publicly said they've exhausted opportunities to have their future stadium stay in Chicago, and their focus is on northwest suburban Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana.

In a statement Friday afternoon, Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tiniglia said he accepts the Bears' decision to focus on developing a stadium in Hammond.

"While we are certainly disappointed in this change of direction, I would like to be clear that our Village's focus will always remain on serving our residents and supporting our local businesses, while positioning Arlington Heights as a premier community. The Arlington Park property is just one element of what makes our Village so special, and we remain focused on the many priorities that contribute to Arlington Heights' ongoing success," he said.

In a statement, Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), who had led negotiations on legislation aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois, said the Bears have left the door open to staying in Illinois, despite again shifting their focus to Hammond.

"This morning, Kevin Warren called to let me know Bears would be releasing a statement regarding Hammond. He ended the conversation by committing to continue discussions around their pursuit of a new stadium in Illinois," Buckner said.

Buckner also noted that the Bears have yet to pick a specific site in Hammond for a new stadium.

"That's not a criticism. It's simply an acknowledgment that the Bears' own language leaves additional flexibility and does not represent a final decision. The carefully crafted statement also uses words that describe a process that is continuing, rather than reaching a conclusion," Buckner said.

In April, the Illinois House voted to pass a so-called "megaprojects bill" that would have allowed the Bears or other developers investing at least $100 million in a project to negotiate property tax breaks with local governments. The Illinois Senate never voted on that legislation, instead passing a bill on Monday that would have allowed local municipalities in Cook County with a population of more than 70,000 to set up their own stadium authorities. Arlington Heights and Chicago both meet that threshold.

Under that plan, the Bears would have put up the cash to build the stadium but the local government would officially own it and the Bears would lease it from them — thus avoiding property taxes altogether. However, the Illinois House adjourned for the summer without taking up that proposal.

Illinois state Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) said, whether the Bears truly plan to move to Hammond or their latest announcement is just a negotiating tactic, "at this point in time, I think we need to start taking the Bears seriously."

Cabello said the prospect or the Bears taking jobs, development, and revenue across the state line to Indiana is a tough pill to swallow.

"If I were the owner of the Bears, and I had been dealing with the state of Illinois, I would be leaving to Indiana as well," he said.

In February, Indiana lawmakers in the state House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved an amendment to Indiana Senate Bill 27 that would pave the way for the Bears to move to Hammond. The proposal would commit up to $1 billion in public funding towards a stadium, and create a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority with the power to issue bonds, acquire land, and finance construction.

While Indiana has agreed to help finance a Bears stadium, the team plans to commit $2 billion towards the construction of the facility. Indiana officials have yet to lay out how they plan to help fund the project, or what taxes would be needed to pay for it.