Overview
- The Chicago Bears' board voted Thursday to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, while saying the exact Hammond site has not yet been selected.
- The decision follows Indiana's passage of legislation to create a Northwest Indiana stadium authority and incentive packages reported as up to about $1 billion.
- Illinois lawmakers adjourned their spring session without approving a narrowly tailored stadium-authority bill that leaders said might have kept the team in-state.
- The team remains under its Soldier Field lease through 2033 but can exit early by paying a fee, and the Bears still own 326 acres in Arlington Heights that were previously considered for a new stadium.
- Next steps include environmental and traffic studies, financing agreements and local approvals in Indiana or renewed legislation in Illinois, all of which will determine the project's final site and timeline and affect regional infrastructure and taxpayers.