The Chicago Bears’ efforts to secure a new stadium reached a “major milestone” Thursday, paving the way for the storied franchise to leave Illinois and potentially build a new indoor home in northwest Indiana.
Indiana lawmakers in the House of Representatives unanimously approved, by a vote of 24-0, an amendment to Indiana State Bill 27 that would pave the way for the Bears to build a stadium in Hammond, Indiana.
This bill would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, which would have the authority to issue bonds, acquire land and finance stadium construction.
“Passage of SB 27 would mark the most significant milestone yet in our stadium planning efforts,” the Bears said in a statement obtained by ESPN. “We are committed to completing necessary final site-specific verifications to bring our plan to build a world-class stadium near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana to fruition.
“We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator Mishler and the members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this essential framework and path forward to provide a premier venue for the entire Chicago region and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from around the world. We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to grow our working relationship together. »
The Wolf Lake area, which crosses the Illinois-Indiana border along Interstate 90, is located southeast of Chicago and Hammond in northwest Indiana, about 25 minutes south of Soldier Field.
The Bears were seeking to pass a law in the state of Illinois that would allow the team to negotiate tax payments with local authorities in lieu of paying property taxes in full. The team previously announced it would invest $2 billion in building a stadium, but was seeking an estimated $850 million in public funding to cover “critical local infrastructure” including roads, sewers and improvements to adjacent commuter rail lines around the 326-acre property the team purchased in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
An Illinois House committee was scheduled to meet Thursday morning to consider the bill, but canceled the meeting.
A spokesperson for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said “Illinois stands ready to move this bill forward. After a productive three-hour meeting yesterday, Bears officials asked to recess the hearing to make additional changes to the bill. This morning we were surprised to see a statement praising Indiana and ignoring Illinois.”
The Bears’ current lease at Soldier Field, the stadium where they play but which is owned by the city of Chicago, runs until 2033.
