Bye, Chicago. The Chicago Bears have announced a major step toward leaving their longtime home at Soldier Field and moving to Indiana.The Bears Board of Directors voted Thursday to advance a stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site still to be selected. It’s the first time that the Bears’ board has voted on any stadium site. The team made the announcement on its social media pages.”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 statement reads.Indiana Gov. Mike Braun took to social media already claiming victory, sharing a welcome message to the team.”We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the ’85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come. An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before,” Braun said.The Bears have been looking at a tract of land near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Ind.The Bears’ focus for a new home had fluctuated between a tract of land they own in Arlington Heights to the Chicago lakefront, and then back to the suburb.They have said they plan to pay for the stadium construction on the site of a former racetrack about 30 miles northwest of their longtime home at Soldier Field, though they would need assistance to complete the project.According to a team consultant report released in September, they were seeking $855 million in public funding for infrastructure in order to build a stadium in Arlington Heights that could host Final Fours and Super Bowls. The Bears were also hoping the Illinois legislature would pass a bill to freeze property taxes for large-scale construction projects such as the stadium that would have allowed them to begin construction in 2025. But that didn’t happen.In September 2022, the Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan for Arlington Heights that also called for restaurants, retail and more, when they were finalizing the purchase of that site.Their focus moved toward building a new stadium next to Soldier Field after Kevin Warren was hired as president three years ago to replace the retiring Ted Phillips. The plan to transform Chicago’s Museum Campus got an enthusiastic endorsement from Mayor Brandon Johnson but a tepid reception from Pritzker and state legislators when it was announced in April 2024.Last spring, the team announced it was turning its attention back to Arlington Heights, citing “significant progress” with local leaders. But in December, the Bears announced they were also considering Northwest Indiana.Since moving to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned their stadium, whether playing at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 or Soldier Field since then.
Bye, Chicago. The Chicago Bears have announced a major step toward leaving their longtime home at Soldier Field and moving to Indiana.
The Bears Board of Directors voted Thursday to advance a stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site still to be selected.
It’s the first time that the Bears’ board has voted on any stadium site. The team made the announcement on its social media pages.
“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 statement reads.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun took to social media already claiming victory, sharing a welcome message to the team.
“We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the ’85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come. An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before,” Braun said.
The Bears have been looking at a tract of land near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Ind.
The Bears’ focus for a new home had fluctuated between a tract of land they own in Arlington Heights to the Chicago lakefront, and then back to the suburb.
They have said they plan to pay for the stadium construction on the site of a former racetrack about 30 miles northwest of their longtime home at Soldier Field, though they would need assistance to complete the project.
According to a team consultant report released in September, they were seeking $855 million in public funding for infrastructure in order to build a stadium in Arlington Heights that could host Final Fours and Super Bowls. The Bears were also hoping the Illinois legislature would pass a bill to freeze property taxes for large-scale construction projects such as the stadium that would have allowed them to begin construction in 2025. But that didn’t happen.
In September 2022, the Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan for Arlington Heights that also called for restaurants, retail and more, when they were finalizing the purchase of that site.
Their focus moved toward building a new stadium next to Soldier Field after Kevin Warren was hired as president three years ago to replace the retiring Ted Phillips. The plan to transform Chicago’s Museum Campus got an enthusiastic endorsement from Mayor Brandon Johnson but a tepid reception from Pritzker and state legislators when it was announced in April 2024.
Last spring, the team announced it was turning its attention back to Arlington Heights, citing “significant progress” with local leaders. But in December, the Bears announced they were also considering Northwest Indiana.
Since moving to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned their stadium, whether playing at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 or Soldier Field since then.
