The Chicago Bears have moved a major step closer to Indiana, as the team’s board of directors voted to advance a stadium development project in Hammond. The organization said the exact site has not been chosen yet, but it is now moving forward with the out-of-state plan.
In a joint statement, Chairman George H. McCaskey and President and CEO Kevin Warren said the project could “transform the region” and connect Northwest Indiana with Chicago and its surrounding communities. The announcement comes after Illinois lawmakers ended their session without advancing a bill that could have opened a different public-private path for the franchise in Illinois.
Why the Bears are looking at Hammond
The Bears now have an Indiana-backed option that centers on a taxpayer-financed stadium and a mixed-use entertainment district near Wolf Lake, about 20 miles southeast of Chicago. Indiana lawmakers approved the framework earlier this year, and Gov. Mike Braun signed it into law within an hour of final approval.
Under that plan, the Bears would invest more than $2 billion to build the stadium, while the state would contribute $1 billion through various taxes. State officials and the governor are expected to handle the remaining discussions with the team, according to previous statements.
Illinois bill stalled before the decision
The board’s vote came less than a week after the Illinois General Assembly adjourned without taking up a Senate bill that could have given the Bears a route to a new stadium in Arlington Heights or Chicago. Supporters of the measure said it would have allowed a public-private ownership arrangement and could have spared the team from paying property taxes on the facility.
Several House lawmakers said there was not enough time to study the proposal. That delay left the Bears with uncertainty in Illinois and pushed attention toward the Indiana proposal that had already been prepared for the franchise.
Hammond is not final yet
Bears officials said the board vote does not mean Hammond has been settled. The organization still has to work through the next steps, and the exact site for the stadium remains undecided.
The timing also affected planning in Northwest Indiana. The Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission said earlier this week that it would pause its master planning process until the Bears made a decision on the stadium direction.
A long stadium search continues
The Bears first floated the idea of buying the former Arlington International Racecourse in June 2021. After purchasing the property for nearly $200 million in 2023, the team proposed an enclosed stadium there, but property-tax concerns later complicated talks with Illinois leaders.
That standoff helped make Indiana’s offer more attractive once lawmakers there acted quickly to create a stadium framework. The latest board vote shows the team is now treating Hammond as the active path forward, even if final details still need to be resolved.
Public reaction in Chicago
The move is likely to draw criticism from Chicago-area fans and residents who hoped the team would stay in Illinois. A recent Suffolk University poll published by the Tribune found that 56% of respondents preferred Arlington Heights, while only 10% wanted Indiana and 26% said they did not care either way.
For now, the Bears’ stadium future points toward Hammond, where state support, team funding, and a mixed-use development plan have combined to keep the project alive after Illinois lawmakers failed to act.
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