The Chicago Bears announced their official pivot to Hammond, Indiana, on May 31st after the Illinois spring legislative session ended without a bill passing. With no property tax certainty, the team felt it was in their best interests to finally make Indiana a priority. However, no specific site had been chosen. Most people assumed the Wolf Lake region was the only one they were considering. That was not the case. Lost Marsh Golf Course was also in the mix, and the Bears wanted to see which presented the best path forward.
According to Maya Liquigan of the Northwest Indiana Times, that decision has been made. The Bears took another important step in the evaluation process by using soil drilling equipment. This is critical as such efforts test load-bearing capacity, groundwater levels, and bedrock strength. Such factors determine if a site can handle the massive weight of a stadium complex. A Bears representative said in a statement that while no specific location has been determined yet, Wolf Lake is the area they’ve chosen.
The Chicago Bears are sticking with the original plan.
Soil drilling equipment, which is used to test potential construction sites, was in place Saturday evening in Hammond near a location that could become the next Chicago Bears stadium, team officials confirmed.
A team spokesman confirmed late Saturday that the machinery that was located by Times reporters at the Wolf Lake Terminals, west of Interstate 90 in Hammond, was testing the ground for a potential stadium site.
The site is currently home to logistics facilities, storage and other private business uses.
“This activity is part of the normal site evaluation process as we continue to advance our stadium development project in Hammond,” said Scott Hagel, the team’s senior vice president of public and governmental affairs. “We have an excellent option already in place and continue to assess additional parcels of land in the Wolf Lake region to ensure we place the stadium and mixed-use district in the very best location to search all of Chicagoland.”
This revelation confirms two things.
First, the Bears are serious about Indiana as an option. There is no way they would be spending that much money to evaluate sites unless they had the full intention of building there. Second, this sends a clear message to Illinois. Recent reports out of Springfield state that several lawmakers aren’t in any hurry to accommodate the Bears because they believe Hammond is a bluff. The team truly wants to build in Arlington Heights and is using Indiana as leverage to get what they want.
This report is another step towards the red line. Think of it as the Chicago Bears’ version of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Both sides are staring each other down, daring the other to blink first. Nuclear annihilation, or in this case, a public divorce after over a century of partnership, is the endgame if neither does. Wolf Lake is a massive property. The Bears should have no issue finding a location that can handle the stadium construction. The tricky part will be the area around it.
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Environmental protection remains a big issue.
Building near a large lake is certainly appealing from an aesthetic standpoint. Unfortunately for the Chicago Bears, it also comes with a significant roadblock. One of the reasons Wolf Lake would prove challenging to build on is the natural wetlands nearby. They have permits and easements issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that strictly prohibit development. That means they are protected through 2050. Either the Bears would have to avoid building on or around them, which would shrink the property they can use, or they would have to go to court to try to get those permits overturned. Most believe the latter is unlikely.
A costly legal battle is not something the Bears want, but it seems they’re content to go through the proper procedures on testing the site anyway. Indiana lawmakers are plenty confident that such issues can be ironed out in the coming months. They’ve already passed the legislation necessary. All the Bears have to do is pick a site. From there, the two sides can work on ironing out the wrinkles.
