The Indiana House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee passed a bill to establish a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct, and lease a stadium. This is the first official salvo in luring the NFL’s Chicago Bears to the Hoosier State.
Indiana Lawmakers Make Pitch for Bears
It was a unanimous 24-0 vote by Indiana’s House Ways and Means Committee in favor of Indiana State Bill 27, which would create an agency tasked with facilitating a domed stadium in Hammond, Indiana, located approximately a half hour south of Chicago.
After the news broke, the Bears issued a statement that read, “The passage of SB 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date. 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.”
The close proximity between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana, would ensure that the team’s fanbase would not be disenfranchised. It is reminiscent of the Kansas City Chiefs relocating from Kansas City, Missouri, to Olathe, Kansas, which is also approximately a half hour south of the old location.
Illinois’ Response
The Bears had been in recent negotiations with Illinois lawmakers, but this most recent development understandably caught the team’s attention, much to the chagrin of the governor’s office.
A spokesperson for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said that “Illinois was ready to move this bill forward. After a productive three-hour meeting yesterday, the Bears leaders requested the ILGA pause the hearing to make further tweaks to the bill. This morning, we were surprised to see a statement lauding Indiana and ignoring Illinois.”
Will the Bears Sack Chicago?
Chicago Bears President & CEO Kevin Warren has made it known that his franchise has been trying to build a new stadium in Illinois for years, but repeated attempts have borne no fruit. Recently, Warren wrote a letter to Bears’ fans that, despite numerous attempts to work with state lawmakers and find a suitable location to build a domed stadium, he has been stymied by the state’s lawmakers.
Warren’s letter, in part, read as follows: “Consequently, in addition to Arlington Park, we need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana.
“This is not about leverage. We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County. We invested significant time and resources evaluating multiple sites and rationally decided on Arlington Heights. Our fans deserve a world-class stadium. Our players and coaches deserve a venue that matches the championship standard they strive for every day. With that in mind, our organization must keep every credible pathway open to deliver that future.”
Bears Stadium History And Funding
The Bears have been in Chicago for over 100 years, and after moving from Wrigley Field in 1971, the franchise has been playing at Soldier Field ever since. The team had sought $855 million in public infrastructure funding and requested that property taxes be frozen for large-scale construction projects while it promised to spend $2 billion for a new stadium. However, those permissions were not granted, and the team began geographically expanding its search.
The city of Chicago owns Soldier Field, and the Bears’ lease runs through 2033.
