(WAND) – The Chicago Bears Board of Directors has voted to advance the stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana.
The exact site is still yet to be selected.
In a statement, Chicago Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren said, “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. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
A proposal in the Illinois state legislature was meant to provide incentives for the NFL team to build its new home in the state.
The Illinois Senate passed a bill early Monday morning that would have cleared the way for Arlington Heights and Chicago to create local stadium authorities, creating a pathway for the Bears to avoid paying property taxes on a new stadium in Illinois. But the House adjourned without taking up the measure on the last day of the state’s spring legislative session.
House Speaker Emanuel Welch said, “In April, the House passed an economic development package that was the product of extensive negotiation with the Bears and other stakeholders. That bipartisan legislation reflected our belief that we can incentivize statewide development and provide property tax relief for working people.
“While Indiana is willing to raise taxes and promise $1 billion in taxpayer funds, Illinois has focused on the needs of working families who want relief at the gas pump, at the store, and on their insurance bills—not taxpayer-funded stadiums.
“Illinois remains open to ongoing efforts to secure the Bears in Illinois. However, it will take time to get it right.”
The Bears’ lease for Soldier Field runs through 2033, but the team can pay a fee to break the lease early.
The team announced in September 2021 that they had signed a purchase agreement for 326 acres of land in Arlington Heights, about 30 miles northwest of Chicago. The $197 million deal with Churchill Downs Incorporated was finalized in 2023.
In September 2022, the team unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan for Arlington Heights that called for an enclosed stadium that could host Super Bowls and Final Fours. Conceptual renderings also included a year-round entertainment district with shopping and restaurants.
After Kevin Warren was hired as team president in January 2023, the team shifted focus toward building a new stadium next to Soldier Field.
Plans changed again in May 2025 with the Bears announcing “significant progress” with local leaders in Arlington Heights. Facing challenged securing tax incentives in Illinois and public money for infrastructure, the Bears shifted focus to Northwest Indiana.
The Indiana State House of Representatives committee passed a bill in February that established a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct and lease a stadium. The team said it was doing its due diligence on a tract of land near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana.
The Bears have played in Illinois since the team’s founding in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys. Since moving to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned their stadium, playing at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 or Soldier Field since.
