The Chicago Bears Board of Directors has voted to advance stadium developments in Hammond, Indiana.
Chicago Bears Chair George McCaskey and President and CEo Kevin Warren confirmed the vote in a joint statement released on Friday.
"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 written statement. "It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.
This comes after days after Mayor Brandon Johnson said he remains confidentabout Chicago being the best spot for a future Bears stadium, despite the team's repeated public assertions that the city is off the table.
The mayor said the Illinois General Assembly's failure to pass legislation supporting a Bears stadium project during their spring session is a chance to revisit his proposal for the team to stay in Chicago.
The Bears had publicly said they've exhausted opportunities to have their future stadium stay in Chicago, and their focus is on northwest suburban Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana.
Early Monday morning, the Illinois Senate passed a billgeared toward keeping the Chicago Bears in-state, but the Illinois House of Representatives adjourned without voting on the measure.
Illinois state Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) introduced the bill late Sunday night after a separate property tax incentive failed to move forward. The new bill looked like it could have opened the door for a plan for the Bears to build their new stadium within Chicago — albeit only a little bit.
In February,Indiana lawmakers in the state House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved an amendment to Indiana Senate Bill 27 that would pave the way for the Bears to move to Hammond. The proposal would create a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority with the power to issue bonds, acquire land, and finance construction.
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