Clock is ticking on Bears to make stadium relocation decision

The Chicago Bears face mounting pressure to decide the future home of a new domed stadium as they prepare to leave Soldier Field after 50 years.

NFL stadium committee members, including Minnesota Vikings owner Mark Wilf, will meet virtually with Bears officials the week of April 27 to review progress on two primary options: The team-owned 326-acre site in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and a proposed location near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana.

Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren has targeted a resolution by late spring or early summer, aligning with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s call for action “relatively soon.”

In Illinois, the team seeks roughly $850 million in public funding for infrastructure while pushing for tax certainty through payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) legislation, which has stalled in the General Assembly ahead of its May 31 session end. Without assured tax relief, Bears officials say construction cannot proceed.

Indiana offers greater certainty after passing Senate Bill 27, which creates a stadium authority and commits around $1 billion in financing, including toll road adjustments.

Bears chairman George H. McCaskey has noted that fans would adjust to either location, much as they did with prior venue shifts. A decision will shape the franchise’s path toward a potential 2030 opening while navigating political and financial hurdles in both states.