Chicago Bears Poised to Consider Hammond as Stadium Site After Indiana Bill Advances
The Chicago Bears are moving stadium planning forward after Indiana lawmakers unanimously advanced legislation that could enable a relocation to Hammond. Lawmakers pushed Senate Bill 27 through a key committee Thursday morning (ET), and the team issued a statement framing the vote as a major step in its site work.
Chicago Bears: statement highlights due diligence, partnership
The Chicago Bears said the passage of SB 27 would be "the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date. " In their statement the team said 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. "
The team also thanked state leaders for establishing a framework to move negotiations forward and said it "values our partnership and look[s] forward to continuing to build our working relationship together. " The proposal referenced in the statement assumes the Bears would contribute $2 billion toward construction costs for the proposed venue.
Legislative details, local leaders and reactions
Thursday morning (ET), legislators voted unanimously to advance SB 27 out of the Ways and Means Committee. The bill would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium authority, modeled on an existing Illinois stadium authority, and would authorize new food, beverage and innkeepers taxes in northwest counties to help fund the stadium and related infrastructure.
Hammond's mayor told lawmakers the city is "ready to partner with the Chicago Bears, basically Hammond would do whatever it takes to help make this project a success, " and characterized Hammond as "uniquely positioned for this moment" as part of the broader Chicagoland region. The Indiana Speaker of the House said conversations with the team have been "excellent" and described ongoing work to forge a public/private partnership centered on construction of a world-class stadium.
Indiana's governor framed the effort as an economic opportunity, saying the state is "open for business" and that officials have "identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal. " He noted that the amendment to SB 27 sets out the essential framework to complete an agreement, contingent on site due diligence progressing smoothly.
On the other side of the state line, the Illinois governor said he was surprised and disappointed by the team's public statement. He said his administration had held lengthy, positive discussions with the team and expected a coordinated approach. He expressed frustration that the Bears' statement gave the impression that negotiations were advancing in Indiana when his team had been working on parallel efforts.
What comes next
With SB 27 advanced out of committee, lawmakers have established a statutory mechanism and potential local revenue tools that supporters say could attract the team to Hammond. The Bears' commitment to complete site-specific due diligence near Wolf Lake and the team's stated willingness to contribute toward construction costs are concrete developments that move the conversation from concept toward negotiation.
Key next steps set out in the recent exchanges include the completion of the Bears' due diligence on the proposed site and further legislative and local approvals tied to the framework in SB 27. Lawmakers and local leaders framed the recent actions as creating a pathway to finalize a deal if the remaining evaluations and negotiations proceed as planned.
