Chicago Bears to advance stadium project in Indiana
(The Center Square) – The Chicago Bears are moving forward with plans to build a stadium in Northwest Indiana.
Bears Chairman George McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren said Friday that the team’s board of directors voted on Thursday to advance their stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected.
“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 in a statement.
The announcement comes four days after the Illinois legislature adjourned without advancing stadium bills.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun asked Hoosiers to help him welcome the Bears.
“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,” Braun said in a social media post.
On Feb. 26, Braun signed legislation creating a framework for a new Bears stadium in Hammond. Indiana Senate Bill 27 provides for a 1% food and beverage tax in Lake and Porter counties, a 5% hotel tax in Lake County, a 12% ticket tax and the capture of new property taxes at the development.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said Illinois focused on the needs of working families and 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,” Welch said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the announcement is not surprising.
“It’s also not surprising that Bears officials have stated this vote does not mean a move to Hammond is a done deal,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The mayor’s office said the city will continue to engage in discussions until there are shovels in the ground in Hammond.
Sunny
Latest News Stories
Pro-life org invests $80M into 2026 midterms, will reach 10.5M voters
Refilling Strategic Petroleum Reserve begins
WATCH: Lawmakers call out Pritzker for lack of transparency with budget cuts
Report: Barriers to social mobility largely manmade
Fetterman hospitalized for heart episode
Federal services to slowly recover following end of government shutdown
IL congressman pushes military to accept CLT, experts say it could shape education
MS-13 members prosecuted nationwide for brutal murders, fentanyl trafficking
Lakers Volleyball Claims Region XXIV Championship
Illinois, Chicago residents rank high taxes as state’s top issue
Jan. 6 panel cost twice previous estimates, hiring TV producers to dramatize attack
Road Warriors: Casey-Westfield Overwhelms Nokomis 48-14 to Rumble into IHSA Elite 8
Lady Warriors’ Season Ends in Hard-Fought Regional Championship Loss to ALAH
Illinois quick hits: Illinois House members vote along party lines; More than 40% of CPS teachers missed 10 or more school days; State Treasurer says Bright Start earns gold
