Chicago Bears Focus Shifts to Hammond as Indiana Panel Advances Stadium Bill
The chicago bears said they are concentrating their stadium planning on a site near Wolf Lake in Hammond as an Indiana House committee on Thursday advanced legislation to create a stadium finance authority that would help the team build a dome across the state line.
Chicago Bears name Hammond as main stadium focus
The team shared a statement that the bill’s passage “would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date. We 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. ” A Bears spokesman added, “Hammond is the site we are focused on. Work to be done. ”
Indiana committee advances bill 24-0
Lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee voted 24-0 to advance the measure after a jovial hearing. House Speaker Todd Huston read a statement he said showed the team’s movement toward Indiana and said, “I think we found a great partner in the Chicago Bears. ” Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott told the panel, “Hammond’s ready to partner with the state of Indiana. Hammond’s ready to partner with the Chicago Bears — basically, Hammond will do whatever it takes to help make this project a success. ” No one from the Bears addressed the committee in person during the hearing.
Details on the proposed Hammond site and reaction from Illinois
the Bears and local planners have been evaluating Lost Marsh Golf Course near 129th Street and Calumet Avenue, a site described as within steps of an oil refinery and residential neighborhoods and built over an old industrial landfill. The Bears’ announcement naming Hammond as their focus came a day after a three-hour negotiating session between team representatives and Illinois officials; Governor JB Pritzker said, “It’s very disappointing to hear that they would put that statement out, but not say anything about the advancement that’s been made in the state of Illinois. ”
The move does not appear to close out other possibilities for the franchise. The team previously released renderings of a proposed stadium in Arlington Heights and has in recent years alternated focus among Arlington Heights, Chicago and Hammond. The Indiana bill would create a financing mechanism intended to support a dome in northwest Indiana if the project proceeds.
For now, the legislative step in Indiana and the Bears’ statement make Hammond the team’s primary site focus while the organization completes the remaining site-specific due diligence near Wolf Lake. Illinois they remain engaged in talks, and the Bears said they will finish the due diligence needed to support their vision for the Hammond site.
