INDIANAPOLIS, IN (WTVB) – In a major development Thursday morning, the Chicago Bears announced they are “committed” to pursuing a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, marking the most significant step toward relocating the franchise out of Illinois to date.
The team issued a statement affirming its vision to build a world-class, $2 billion stadium near the Wolf Lake area after an Indiana House committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 27. This legislative framework establishes a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to oversee a 35-year lease deal and includes a financial package funded by new local restaurant, hotel, and admissions taxes.
While the move is not yet a final “done deal,” Indiana Governor Mike Braun characterized the agreement as a solid foundation for a public-private partnership that would bring the “Monsters of the Midway” across the state line.
The announcement came as a pivotal Illinois legislative hearing in Springfield was abruptly canceled, signaling a breakdown in negotiations over property tax certainty at the team’s long-proposed site in Arlington Heights. If finalized, the Hammond site would place the Bears roughly 30 minutes from downtown Chicago, potentially making Indiana the seventh state in the NFL to host multiple franchises
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