Illinois lawmakers’ last-second Bears plan hinges on public stadium

municipal stadium-financing – As the Illinois legislative session nears midnight, state lawmakers are searching for a new way to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois after top negotiator Bill Cunningham said his caucus would not back megaproject property-tax incentives. The most promising ap

SPRINGFIELD — In the final stretch of a spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers were working a two-minute drill on Sunday, trying to bridge a widening gap with the Chicago Bears as the clock ticked toward midnight.

The urgency sharpened the morning after top stadium negotiator and South Side state Sen. Bill Cunningham delivered a bombshell: his caucus wouldn’t support the megaproject property tax-incentive legislation the team has sought for three years. By then, officials were already improvising a new framework, knowing the session’s deadline was closing fast.

The idea gaining traction was to shift the mechanism—away from the stalled statewide approach and toward something more local. Negotiators close to the talks said the most promising possibility would allow municipalities to create their own stadium-financing authorities. similar to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority that helped fund construction of what is now Rate Field and the often-ridiculed 2003 renovation of Soldier Field.

That structure, in the view of Democrats pushing for it, could create the “level playing field” the party has demanded as they weigh Chicago against Arlington Heights—and any other municipality willing to put public money toward a Bears dome.

Under the proposal, which was still being revised hour by hour, the land and the stadium at whichever site the Bears pick would be owned by the municipality—whether that’s Arlington Heights, Chicago, or another bidder.

The Bears would pay to build the stadium, but they would be off the hook for property taxes. That is the specific pressure point the team has been focused on. Bears leaders have argued that their property tax bills in Arlington Heights could top $100 million. and they pushed for a new statewide framework that would have allowed discounted payments in lieu of taxes. known as PILOT. to slash those costs.

The shift also appeared to function as a rare political win for Mayor Brandon Johnson. His top adviser, Jason Lee, was in the Capitol at the close of session to lobby against the PILOT bill that could have funneled support to the suburbs.

Even with the improvisation underway, Bears representatives had not commented on the Senate’s turn in the final drive—nor on the latest Hail Mary proposal that would also include unspecified amounts of state funding for infrastructure around the stadium site.

The team’s public ask for Arlington Heights has been substantial: Bears officials have estimated $855 million for sewers, roads and other investments.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has long championed PILOT legislation. but he has drawn a firm line against subsidizing a privately owned stadium for a pro sports franchise valued at $8.9 billion. He has emphasized that much of the proposed infrastructure funding would be earmarked for Arlington Heights whether the Bears were at play.

At the center of the fight is where the Bears say they can go. The team has been adamant that its only viable destinations are the former Arlington International Race Course—which the Bears bought for more than $197 million in 2023—or an area near the Lost Marsh Golf Course in Hammond. Indiana. built over an old industrial dump.

Indiana lawmakers moved quickly earlier this year. In February. they authorized a new stadium financing authority that would put $1 billion in taxpayer dollars into a stadium for the Bears. Under that Indiana approach, the Bears would keep all revenue generated at the dome, supported by new taxes and tolls.

Back in Illinois, legislation had not yet emerged by mid-afternoon, with a key constitutional deadline approaching at midnight. Bills face a higher threshold of 60% to pass June 1 or later, but only if they’re written to take effect within the following year.

Cunningham suggested the stadium talks could stretch into lawmakers’ fall veto session. Still, Bears president Kevin Warren has said the team will name its next stadium site by “early summer,” a timeline that leaves little margin for politicking to drag on.

State Rep. Kam Buckner. whose South Side district includes Soldier Field and who sponsored PILOT legislation that easily cleared the House last month. was holding out hope for a dramatic comeback in the final hours. Buckner’s appeal was familiar to anyone who has watched Illinois end-of-session deals: language. he said. could make or break what happens next.

“The language is what is going to drive the day when it comes to what happens here,” Buckner said. “I want to get on with this and get past this, give the Bears what they need to stay in the state. But we’ll see what happens.”

For now, Illinois lawmakers are trying to keep the Bears from walking out the door—by rewriting the terms in a way that changes who owns the stadium, who pays the taxes, and how much public money is allowed to count.

Chicago Bears Illinois legislature Springfield PILOT property taxes Bill Cunningham Brandon Johnson Jason Lee Arlington Heights Rate Field Soldier Field Kevin Warren Kam Buckner J.B. Pritzker