CHICAGO - The Chicago Bears are planning to move forward with building their new stadium out of state.
What they're saying:
The Bears released a statement Friday confirming they would advance their development project in Hammond, 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," Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement. "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."
The backstory:
The move comes after Illinois lawmakers adjourned their spring legislative session earlier this week without approving a last-minute stadium financing proposal aimed at keeping the Bears in the state, specifically in the northwest suburbs.
The General Assembly wrapped up its work around 4:40 a.m. Monday without the House taking up a newly introduced plan that would have allowed communities such as Arlington Heights to create local stadium authorities. Supporters said the measure would have provided property tax relief sought by the Bears as part of a proposed stadium development.
The proposal had cleared the Illinois Senate late Sunday night, but time ran out before it could receive a vote in the House.
"Last night, the Illinois General Assembly decided to forgo a vote on HB 958, legislation that would have established a framework for the creation of municipal stadium finance authorities to build publicly owned sports stadiums in Cook County," Mayor Brandon Johnson previously said in a statement. "Chicago continues to offer the strongest opportunity to retain the Bears. We have a publicly owned site the team has already vetted and approved, an existing sports authority with a dedicated revenue stream, and a framework for moving a deal forward."
The legislative setback came as Indiana continued its effort to attract the Bears across state lines. Indiana officials previously approved legislation that supporters say could provide up to $1 billion in incentives for a major development project in Hammond near the Illinois border.
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This story will be updated.
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