The Bears have called the state of Illinois home since they began play in 1920, but they now have one foot out the door. Their board of directors voted to advance stadium development at a to-be-determined site in Hammond, Ind., chairman George McCaskey and president and CEO Kevin Warren announced in a joint statement.
“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,” McCaskey and Warren said. “It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
The Bears, who will soon leave the 102-year-old Soldier Field for a new stadium, identified Hammond and Arlington Heights, Ill., as potential sites for a domed facility earlier in this process. In an announcement on May 21, they claimed the city of Chicago does not have a “viable site.” Their chances of at least staying in Illinois would have improved had the Senate voted to approve a proposal to give tax breaks for megaprojects of $100MM or more. However, that bid fell short before the Senate adjourned on May 31.
While it appears the Bears will end up in Hammond, which is approximately 35 minutes from Chicago, it isn’t a fait accompli, Courtney Cronin of ESPN reports. “Illinois can still get back in the race,” a source told Cronin. Meanwhile, a source informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “There is more work to do but barring anything very strange, it’s a done deal.”
For his part, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is already spiking the ball. In a celebratory statement, Braun announced (via WSBT CBS 22): “Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state! 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. An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before.”
If the Bears leave for Indiana, they would join the Colts as the state’s second NFL franchise. The Colts would welcome them with open arms.
“We’re happy for the Bears and wish them the best in their stadium initiative,” the Colts stated Friday (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star). “We also hope this will mean great things for community and economic development for our fellow Hoosiers in northwest Indiana.”
Hammond is within 75 miles of Chicago, which means the Bears already have the marketing rights there.
So stupid. Just pay for your own stadium you cheap, whiny McCaskeys!
They are going to pay for their new stadium.
This isn’t remotely close to the truth, tax breaks are still payment, no matter where the next stadium ends up being located they won’t pay for it all. Not sure what you gain by pushing out this misinformation in this manner
It’s so sad that the School System has come to this. I mean when I was in school English was a requirement. I’ll say it again. The Bears are building the stadium. The Bears were ALWAYS building the stadium. The Bears even bought land the FREAKIN stadium could be built on. All they wanted was a road and a Tax break for spending 2.5 billion dollars for an all year site the state could use. You need to take an English course.
No one has doubled down more on flat out incorrect takes than unclemike. Unfortunately taxes the bears don’t have to pay are never received by the constituents who would otherwise would have received them in some form of public service. Your emotional crusade over Illinois/ Chicago events while displaying alarming amounts of gross ignorance are a recipe for the intellectual disaster you present yourself as on this subject.
Wow. That’s an excellent example of simplistic schoolboy politics Druuu. Perhaps some more delving into the details of the situation is in order. Good Luck!
Well, they were gonna pay for the stadium and they had purchased the site in Arlington Heights, which as far as I know, is the best offer any team currently wanting a new stadium- has offered. Certainly not the Titan’s boondoggle of Nashville. I’m no fan of helping out billionaires, but asking for infrastructure help and some assurances regarding property taxes, is no more than many companies ask for when they move to a new location. The bureaucracy of the Illinois legislature can be mostly thanked for this. Hello Indiana..
Regardless of the reasons, they are choosing to leave. They want you to further this narrative to make excuses for them. No one benefits from public investment in sports stadiums other than the owners.
Were you born this dull or did you gradually lose focus? Apparently you don’t comprehend the English Language. The Bears are building the stadium, They were always building the stadium, They bought the land the stadium was going to be on, All the state had to do was build a road and give them a tax break. And they couldn’t even be bothered to do that.
I was born dull and it’s been downhill from there. But even a broken clock is right twice a day…
I usually go with “I was born with nothing and still have most of it left” 🙂
According to Senate Enrolled Act No. 27, Indiana’s offer consists of 50% of the construction cost of the new stadium to be made by private investment. The state will also provide $1billion to the project. The money would be raised by a 1% tax on food and beverage in Lake and Porter counties, hotel tax increase by 5% in Lake county and 12% admissions tax for tickets at the new stadium.
Bringo.
Indiana can spend whatever it wants. Illinois didn’t have to. You guys know that the NFL has a huge fund that provides means for teams to build stadiums right? Oh you don’t know everything? HUH
We already admitted to being a few cards short of a deck. Don’t rub it in!
Chicago played chicken with the Bears and lost.
It’s not really a surprise. When you combine the dysfunction of Chicago (and Illinois) politics with the Bears horribly run franchise for decades, this is the kind of thing you get.
This is just friggin hilarious. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a Bears fan say: “They’ll never move to Indiana, this is just leverage.”
OPE.
Now we have the Indiana Bears
Not that much difference from the New Jersey Jets or the New Jersey Giants to be honest.
Or the SF 49ers.
I’m good with teams that still play in the same state, even if it’s not quite in the same city.
good. the Illinois politicians are clowns
100% on Kevin Warren and the Bears ownership. Anyone blaming Illinois politicians has no idea about what’s going on and how badly the Bears screwed this all up. Illinois politicians actually looked out for the people of Illinois against the greedy, inept, and completely moronic Bears organization.
Not real bright are you? Wow
The city of Chicago and State of Illinois should have seen this coming; they should have looked at the way the city fathers in San Diego acted, when the city of San Diego basically said we don’t care if you leave San Diego. Well, the Chargers called that bluff with the city figuring that the Chargers would not leave their so-called America’s Finest City. Turns out the city was not holding all the cards after all.
The outcome literally no Chicagoan wanted… the Madden curse strikes again!
Reading the cope on Windy City gridiron this afternoon has been hilarious 😂
Well, the City of Chicago and State of Illinois look like the Bears indeed called your bluff in that some of the politicians were saying early on that the Bears will never leave the city of Chicago. Well, I guess they did, just shows like in poker you can’t bluff when you’re only holding a pair of duces. Just fold the hand city of Chicago and state of Illinois you lose the tax dollars the Bears bring in from September to December, who know maybe the NHL will let the Blackhawks play some of their hockey games outdoor now in that 102-year-old stadium once home to the Bears.