Overview
- The Chicago Bears said they are only considering two sites for a new stadium—Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana—a stance reiterated in coverage on Sunday, May 24.
- Governor J.B. Pritzker has publicly urged the Illinois Senate to pass a megaprojects bill that would offer long‑term property tax certainty and infrastructure aid needed to keep the team in state before the legislature adjourns on May 31.
- Indiana lawmakers have already advanced legislation to create a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority and tax mechanisms to support a stadium, putting Indiana farther along on the legal tools the Bears say they need.
- The Bears seek roughly $855 million in public infrastructure support plus multibillion‑dollar stadium financing and decades of property‑tax guarantees, requirements team president Kevin Warren has said are essential to building a new stadium.
- The franchise still plays at Soldier Field under a lease through 2033 but could seek an earlier exit; the unresolved infrastructure costs, traffic and environmental studies mean a site decision is expected soon and will shape local taxes, transit and development for years.