Over the past week, it felt like there was serious momentum between the Chicago Bears and the state of Illinois on legislation that would help the franchise finally begin building its new stadium in Arlington Heights. A recent bill was passed that would help businesses receive funding for economic development, including infrastructure. The only hurdle left to clear was property tax certainty, which could be secured through a new “megaprojects” bill introduced in Springfield some time ago. It looked like it would finally be heard by the legislature on Thursday morning.
Just 24 hours earlier, Abdul Hakim-Shabazz of Indy Politics shared this update on the situation in Indiana.
An announcement is expected Wednesday in the Ways and Means Committee that the Chicago Bears have agreed to relocate to Northwest Indiana, specifically the Hammond area, Indy Politics has learned.
The anticipated announcement would mark a significant development in the long-running uncertainty surrounding the Bears’ stadium future. The team has spent several years exploring options in Illinois, including proposals involving Chicago’s lakefront and suburban redevelopment sites. No formal agreement has been publicly confirmed to date.
That makes it sound like the talks with Illinois are going nearly as well as J.B. Pritzker made it seem. Sure enough, news has trickled out of Springfield that the hearing meant for the megaprojects bill has been cancelled.
If that weren’t enough, Craig’s Chicago Business had an update of its own, stating that the Bears’ interest in Hammond is very real, though they aren’t yet planning a full commitment.
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The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to vote Thursday morning on new language meant to pave the way for a deal for that site to be finalized, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told the Indianapolis Business Journal.
If that language is added to Senate Bill 27, the Bears are expected to make a statement that confirms the team’s interest in the site but will remain short of a full commitment to move, said the source, who requested anonymity to speak about the negotiations.
The Chicago Bears appear to have been jerked around again.
The Illinois government has stopped and started on this issue for three years. Its constant unwillingness to take the Chicago Bears seriously is what eventually pushed them to open talks with Indiana in the first place. Now the neighboring state is offering a remarkably intriguing deal for the organization. Their legislation would enable them to receive infrastructure support and property tax benefits. They’d also be free to choose their preferred site for the stadium and would own it once its debt was fully paid off.
This has become a case of the Bears realizing they’re not wanted in Illinois. Its lawmakers see them as a needless distraction from other issues. Meanwhile, Indiana has made it clear from every possible angle that they want them and are willing to provide all the support necessary to make it happen. Nobody can say the Bears haven’t done everything possible to work with Illinois to find a solution. It hasn’t worked. If this is truly the end, nobody should blame the organization for taking the better deal.
Choosing Hammond always felt the most likely.
Throughout this process, the key for the Bears was simple. They didn’t want to lose access to the massive downtown fanbase. Downtown Chicago is 29 miles away from Hammond. It’s a drive of less than 40 minutes. That is almost the exact same distances as Arlington Heights, just in the opposite direction. From the team’s perspective, they remain close enough to the city while still enjoying the many perks Indiana offers by crossing state lines. It is a pretty sweet deal, even if it makes it harder for fans in the northern suburbs to see the team.
As for Pritzker and his government? It isn’t yet known what caused the talks to fall apart, or whether they might be rescued at the 11th hour. He’s made it clear he would not use taxpayer money to fund what he called a “vanity” project. This last-minute series of talks seemed promising, but something happened that led to the hearing being cancelled. Now, Pritzker stands to become the man who let the Chicago Bears leave the state of Illinois for the first time in over a century.
*******************************Update**************************************
Sure enough, shortly after word of all this emerged, the Bears released a statement regarding the bill’s passing in Indiana. It sure sounds like Hammond will be the new home for the franchise moving forward.
While it isn’t a full commitment, all of the signs are there. Illinois, for whatever reason, balked at something during talks. Indiana has done nothing but forge ahead. The message is clear, and the Bears are finally listening.
********************************UPDATE 2***********************************
The plot twists keep coming. According to Governor Pritzker’s depute chief of staff for communications, the state was ready to push the bill forward. Things were going in that direction. Then, at the last second, the Bears apparently asked to pause the hearing to make some added tweaks to the bill. Then the Indiana statement hit, which caught many by surprise.
This leaves the situation in limbo. The Bears still haven’t fully committed to Indiana despite their recent statement. It seems they are still in talks with Illinois, but this latest situation is beyond puzzling. Did George McCaskey have a sudden change of heart, feeling the Indiana offer was too good to pass up, or is the organization getting a little greedy with their demands from Illinois? Full details are hard to come by, but this latest revelation shows how chaotic everything continues to be.
