chicago bears eye Hammond site as Indiana bill advances, team says Wolf Lake is main focus
Chicago's NFL franchise publicly shifted focus to a northwest Indiana location Thursday as state lawmakers moved legislation forward that could pave the way for a new stadium near Wolf Lake in Hammond. The move represents the most concrete sign yet that the team is seriously weighing a cross‑state relocation even as talks in Illinois continue.
State bill moves forward as Bears declare Hammond their primary site
Members of an Indiana House committee unanimously advanced a measure Thursday that would create a stadium finance authority for northwest Indiana, a mechanism designed to help assemble public financing and infrastructure for a potential stadium project. Lawmakers described the amendment to Senate Bill 27 as the framework necessary to negotiate final terms and to complete site‑specific due diligence on land near Wolf Lake.
The team released a statement reading that passage of the bill would "mark the most meaningful step forward" in their stadium planning and that they are "committed to finishing the remaining site‑specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world‑class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana. " Team spokespeople added that "Hammond is the site we are focused on. Work to be done. "
At the committee hearing, local leaders urged the legislature to act. Hammond's mayor said the city was prepared to partner with the club and do "whatever it takes" to support the project, while the House speaker characterized the day as historic and signaled optimism about forging a public‑private partnership.
Funding structure, taxes and the wider political reaction
The proposed legislative package would create a northwest Indiana stadium authority similar to other state sports financing bodies and contemplates new local taxes—including food, beverage and innkeeper levies—in counties surrounding the site to help pay for stadium construction and related infrastructure. Lawmakers indicated the team itself would provide a substantial equity contribution toward construction costs, with one proposal outlining a roughly $2 billion commitment from the club.
State leaders in Indiana framed the measure as contingent on successful due diligence and final negotiations. The governor of Indiana publicly endorsed the framework, calling the site promising and noting the amendment lays out the pathway to complete an agreement.
Meanwhile, officials in Illinois reacted with surprise. A planned hearing in an Illinois House committee on a separate bill that could offer tax relief in Arlington Heights was canceled this week. Illinois' governor expressed disappointment with the Bears' public statement praising Indiana's progress after what had been described internally as productive discussions in Springfield the previous day.
What the development means for the team's options
While the public language from the team singles out Hammond as the primary site of current focus, it stops short of an exclusive commitment and does not formally withdraw the club from earlier plans in the Chicago suburbs, including Arlington Heights. The organization has pursued multiple options in recent years—city, suburban and out‑of‑state—and the new Indiana bill is being treated by the team as a critical procedural milestone rather than a fait accompli.
Practical next steps include completing environmental, traffic and land‑use due diligence, formalizing a funding and tax framework with state and local officials, and negotiating any property tax or infrastructure agreements. If the legislation continues to advance, it would allow legislators and city officials in northwest Indiana to begin assembling the financing and zoning pieces necessary to move from concept to construction planning.
For fans and local stakeholders, the coming weeks are likely to determine whether Hammond becomes the front‑runner or whether negotiations in Illinois regain traction. Either outcome will hinge on the results of site studies, the details of any negotiated tax arrangements, and how willing the franchise is to move beyond its longstanding ties to Illinois.
