The Chicago Bears won't be building in the northwest suburbs anytime soon.
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren declared Thursday, Aug. 13, at Halas Hall that Hammond, Indiana is the franchise's "sole focus" for a new stadium and mixed-use development, confirming the McCaskey family has committed $2 billion in private money toward the project, according to Patch.
The announcement dims hopes for the 326-acre Arlington Park property in Arlington Heights, which sits just east of the DuPage County line and had been the Bears' preferred site until the Illinois legislature adjourned without passing stadium-enabling legislation this spring.
"We don't have any legislation in Illinois. We don't have a deal with Illinois," Warren told reporters. "Our focus, again, at this point in time, is in Hammond, Indiana."
Arlington Heights still holding out
Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia said the same day that planning discussions with the Bears have "slowed down" since the team's June 5 board vote to pivot to Indiana, but communication has not been cut off. He said the site could accommodate "a couple of stadiums" and would not become a data center or logistics facility, according to the Daily Herald.
Tinaglia said he remains hopeful Springfield and the Bears can reach a deal before it is too late, whether in November, February or later.
Collar-county lawmakers divided
Northwest suburban and collar-county state legislators split sharply on whether to pursue a deal in the fall veto session, according to Shaw Local.
State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, called the Bears project "the largest single private investment opportunity in Illinois history," citing thousands of construction jobs and "a generational anchor for the northwest suburbs." State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, called arguments against public stadium dollars "vapid."
State Rep. Steve Reick, R-Woodstock, was less convinced: "Until a shovel is in the ground, I don't trust anything the Bears have to say on all of this."
State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, called on House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch to bring lawmakers back to Springfield. McLaughlin's June proposal called for up to $2.5 billion in Bears and private investment and $1.2 billion in state-supported infrastructure.
What Hammond offers
Warren identified two Hammond sites under consideration: the Lost Marsh Golf Course, where due diligence is complete and the land has been confirmed viable, and the Wolf Lake Terminal site, where environmental studies continue. He said the team may merge both into a single larger development.
Indiana has authorized up to $1 billion in public funding through a combination of food-and-beverage, hotel and admissions taxes in Lake and Porter counties, according to the Chicago Tribune. Under the deal, an Indiana stadium authority would own the facility, meaning the Bears would pay no property taxes.
Bears Chairman George McCaskey called discussions with Illinois lawmakers since June "minimal." Gov. JB Pritzker, speaking at the Illinois State Fair the same morning, confirmed the Bears have not presented bill language to his administration.
Warren said stadium costs are rising by nearly $150 million per year but declined to set a timeline for a final decision.
What's next
The Bears' current lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033 but can be broken early with a termination payment. The Illinois General Assembly's fall veto session, scheduled Nov. 17–19 and Dec. 1–3, represents the next window for any Illinois stadium legislation. No special session has been called.
