Indiana reaches deal to try to steal Chicago Bears
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So long, Soldier Field. Photo: Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images
Indiana lawmakers say they have reached a tentative deal with the Chicago Bears to build an NFL stadium in Hammond.
Why it matters: It would be a historic move — for both the Bears and Northwest Indiana.
Driving the news: Hoosier lawmakers moved bipartisan legislation Thursday that would help fund the construction of a new stadium for the Bears with state bonds.
- Under the deal in Senate Bill 27, the bonds would be paid by an admission tax and a new professional sports development area that would capture retail, food and beverage and other taxes from properties around the facility, which would be owned by a state-created stadium authority.
- The Bears would invest around $2 billion toward construction, while Indiana would kick in upwards of $1 billion toward the construction and infrastructure to support the project, said Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers).
What they're saying: State and local leaders from The Region (or Da Region, as it'll surely be known) were effusive in their excitement and praise Thursday.
- Huston called the potential stadium a "transformational investment."
- "What a day for Northwest Indiana," he said. "What a day for Indiana."
Reality check: It's not a done deal. The Bears released a statement in strong support of the Hammond project, but stopped short of locking themselves into any deal yet.
- "The passage of SB 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date," the Bears said in a statement. "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."
Zoom in: The project, which would essentially hug the state line abutting southern Chicago, is envisioned as more than a stadium.
- Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, Jr., described the planned entertainment district with hotels, restaurants and other amenities as "a separate city within the city of Hammond."
- "We're going to make a Bearsville right outside of this stadium," he said.
The other side: Illinois leaders are throwing cold water on the hype.
- "I think the Bears are taking the responsible position to consider all their options," Illinois state Sen. Mark Walker said Thursday. Walker represents the Arlington Heights area, a Chicago suburb where the Bears purchased land for a potential stadium.
- "It nowhere near means they're close to a deal yet."
Catch up quick: Talks about moving the team to Indiana got serious in the last few months as negotiations with Illinois leaders stalled.
- While the Bears had promised to kick in $2 billion to build in the Chicago suburbs, Illinois leaders stopped short of guaranteeing the team any taxpayer money for construction or infrastructure costs.
- When it became clear that Indiana was in the running, Illinois lawmakers began working on a competing bill to keep the Bears in the state.
Matt Hill, a spokesperson for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, said on X: "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."
What's next: SB27 is expected to easily pass through the Indiana Statehouse in the coming days.
Editor's note: This is a developing story.