Chicago Bears Moving To Indiana: Hammond Emerges as Main Stadium Focus
chicago bears moving to indiana has taken a clearer shape after an Indiana House committee advanced legislation creating a stadium finance authority and the team said the passage would be the most meaningful step in its stadium planning — and that Hammond near Wolf Lake is now the site it is focused on. The move comes amid continued negotiations with Illinois officials and visible reaction from local leaders and fans.
Chicago Bears Moving To Indiana: What Legislators Approved
An Indiana House Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously to advance a bill that would create a stadium finance authority intended to support construction of a domed stadium in northwest Indiana. Lawmakers pushed the measure through 24-0 during a hearing that featured vocal support from regional officials and city leaders.
The amendment to the bill puts forward a framework for negotiations and conditions for completing a final agreement, with state lawmakers describing the measure as a foundational public-private structure similar to existing sports facility authorities. The committee action was framed as a significant procedural step in the team’s site evaluation process.
Details on the Hammond site and financing
Team statements have identified the Wolf Lake area in Hammond as the primary focus for site-specific due diligence. Officials have said the Bears are evaluating locations including the Lost Marsh Golf Course near 129th Street and Calumet Avenue, a property described as within steps of industrial infrastructure and residential neighborhoods and built over an old industrial landfill. The golf course location is one of the parcels under consideration, but no final site or stadium renderings have been released.
Lawmakers noted an expectation that the Bears would contribute toward construction costs; legislators stated a figure of $2 billion toward construction. The legislative package advanced in committee includes mechanisms to raise local revenue, including proposed new food, beverage and innkeepers taxes in northwest Indiana counties to help pay for stadium and infrastructure work tied to the project.
Reaction in Illinois and next steps
Illinois they were surprised and disappointed by the team’s statement signaling a Hammond focus, coming after extended negotiations between Bears representatives and state staff. Illinois leaders had been pursuing a separate track centered on Arlington Heights and had described ongoing discussions as productive shortly before Indiana’s committee action.
Local leaders in Hammond and state lawmakers in Indiana emphasized readiness to partner on the project. One regional official said Hammond is prepared to do whatever it takes to help make the project a success, while the state speaker characterized the committee vote as a historic day to build upon. The Bears’ public comments framed the committee’s passage as the most meaningful step forward in stadium planning to date and emphasized continued site-specific due diligence.
What to watch next
Key near-term indicators to monitor include completion of the team’s due diligence on the Wolf Lake-area parcels, any formal site selection announcement from the team, and final passage of the stadium finance measure through the Indiana legislature. If the bill advances to final approval and site due diligence proceeds smoothly, the legal and tax frameworks referenced by lawmakers would become available to negotiate the detailed terms of a public-private deal. If those items do not align, the Bears’ statement left open the possibility that their planning focus could shift among the locations they have been evaluating.
Key takeaways
- Indiana committee advanced legislation creating a stadium finance authority with a unanimous vote.
- The Bears identified the Wolf Lake area in Hammond as their current site focus and called the committee passage a meaningful step.
- Lawmakers referenced a $2 billion team contribution and proposed local tax changes to help fund construction and infrastructure.
