Bears press Hammond plan after Illinois incentives stall

Bears moving – The Chicago Bears moved forward on a new stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, after a proposal to offer Illinois lawmakers’ financial incentives for the team stalled in the state legislature. The board vote came as the team said it has been studying a site nea

CHICAGO — For months, the Bears have been circling the same question: where should the next version of the franchise live?. Thursday’s decision. by the team’s board of directors. landed on a new answer — Hammond. Indiana — after an incentive proposal tied to building the team’s next stadium in Illinois stalled in the state legislature.

The Bears voted to move forward with a stadium development project in Hammond. The team said Friday that while it has been doing due diligence on a tract of land near Wolf Lake, an exact site has not yet been selected.

In a statement attributed to Chairman George McCaskey and team president Kevin Warren. the Bears framed the Hammond project as more than a construction plan. “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. ” the statement said. “It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun welcomed the Bears’ announcement and pointed to the state’s legislative groundwork. A committee in the Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill in February that established a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct and lease a stadium.

“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 in a statement. “An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before.”.

The Bears’ timetable still runs through their current deal, even as the location talks shift. Their lease runs through 2033, but they can pay a fee to break the lease early. Soldier Field sits about 40 miles south of Halas Hall in Lake Forest. Illinois. while Hammond is about 20 miles south of the team’s lakefront stadium.

Those details land differently when you remember how long the franchise has called Illinois home. The Bears are a charter NFL franchise and have played in the state since the team’s founding in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys. They moved to Chicago in 1921 and called Wrigley Field home before starting play at Soldier Field in September 1971.

While Indiana moves to formalize its stadium framework, Illinois political leaders are not ready to close the door. Matt Hill, a spokesperson for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, said the governor “remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers.”

Hill added that the Bears have been changing course. “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. ” Hill said in a statement. “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.”.

The Bears’ move to Hammond doesn’t end the Illinois story; it changes its tempo. What began with stalled incentives now runs into competing timelines — and a franchise that has been in Illinois for more than a century is signaling. with a board vote and a new development track. that time may be running out on the old plan.

Chicago Bears Hammond Indiana Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority George McCaskey Kevin Warren Soldier Field Halas Hall Mike Braun JB Pritzker Wolf Lake