Overview
- Over the weekend, photos and local reports showed soil-drilling equipment at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond and the Bears confirmed the work as part of normal site evaluation of multiple parcels.
- Team officials said they already have an ‘excellent option’ in Hammond but are continuing to assess other Wolf Lake sites before naming a final plot or timetable for construction.
- Indiana lawmakers this month approved roughly $1 billion in infrastructure funding and created a stadium authority to shepherd the project, a move that makes Hammond the front-runner for public financing.
- Significant obstacles remain, including limited usable acreage, protected wetlands, nearby federal property, potential environmental remediation, local tax approvals and final sign-off from municipalities and the NFL.
- The Bears still own 326 acres in Arlington Heights and remain open to talks with Illinois, with Governor J.B. Pritzker saying discussions are ‘still alive’ and that he would consider further legislative action if a workable deal is presented.