Chicago Bears Confirm Exit from City, Set Sights on Arlington Heights, NW Indiana Sites

In a Thursday statement, the Chicago Bears effectively closed the door on the idea of building a new stadium within city limits. Bears’ President and CEO Kevin Warren, who has been tasked with “overseeing the team’s transformative stadium development project,” asserted that the only viable future home sites are in Arlington Heights and Hammond. Additionally, Warren’s statement claims that the team’s “initial goal” was to stay in Chicago, and that it has “exhausted every opportunity to” do so. 

Illinois Politics

This rare clarity from the Bears comes as Illinois leaders have continued campaigns to keep the team within their respective jurisdictions. Notably, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker are engaged in tense dialogue as the NFL franchise considers a move out of the city, and out of the state altogether. While Pritzker has critiqued Johnson for having “no plan” to keep the team in Chicago, Johnson actively opposes legislation requested by Pritzker and the Bears to help facilitate a move to Arlington Heights. 

While stakeholder actions have narrowed the Bears’ focus to Arlington Heights and Hammond for quite some time, Chicago leaders remain committed to keeping the team on the lakefront. Even as last month the NFL reportedly confirmed that there existed no viable Chicago site, Mayor Brandon Johnson has expressed dissatisfaction with a potential move out of the city. Specifically, Johnson critiqued Chicago legislators who are considering supporting an Arlington Heights stadium for the Bears. In this vein, the Mayor said that he “d[idn’t] know why any Chicago legislator would vote for anything that doesn’t benefit the people that they represent.”

What’s Next for the Bears’ Stadium

According to recent reports, Governor Pritzker has urged Illinois lawmakers to advance the so-called “megaprojects” bill before the May 31 end of the legislative session. This bill, officially called HB 910, seeks to provide property tax certainty to the Bears (and other teams) as they consider in-state stadium construction. The legislation first passed through the Illinois House with a 78-32 vote last month, and now awaits a vote in the Senate. As part of attempts to shut down a potential move outside Chicago, Mayor Johnson has allegedly lobbied state leaders to oppose this megaproject’s legislation. It is worth noting that Indiana government leaders passed legislation earlier this year to fund a new Bears’ stadium in Hammond.