The Chicago Bears have voted to move forward with a stadium development proposal in northwestern Indiana.
“Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected,” Chicago Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and President and CEO Kevin Warren said in a release Friday.
“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.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R), who said Tuesday that conversations with Bears leadership were “ongoing,” was quick to welcome the team to Indiana.
“Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state!” Braun said in a statement.
“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.
Thank you to Speaker Huston, the legislature, and Mayor McDermott for their partnership. I also want to thank the entire Chicago Bears organization for their partnership and commitment in making this move a reality.”
In February, Braun signed Senate Bill 27 into law, officially creating the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to build a $3 billion domed stadium in Hammond. Under the arrangement, Indiana would commit nearly $1 billion in public funds, with the state owning the facility and the Bears leasing it. The Bears pledged $2 billion of their own money to help finance the project.
The Bears spent the last few months working with Illinois legislators on a deal that would have moved the team from its current home at Soldier Field to the north Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, but the Illinois General Assembly’s proposed counter to Indiana’s stadium financing offer fell apart at the last minute. The Illinois House adjourned without taking up the bill.
The team previously ruled out remaining in the city of Chicago itself, where it has played since 1922, first at Wrigley Field and then, since 1971, at Soldier Field.
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This article was written by WISHTV reporter Ashley Flower.
