The Chicago Bears pro football team, after an earlier focus on a new lakefront stadium in the city or a sprawling, mixed-use stadium complex in the northwest suburbs, is expanding the search to a wider area including northwest Indiana after failing to secure taxpayer support for the project in Illinois.
In an open letter to fans of the NFL team posted on its website, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said the organization was widening its exploration to build a domed stadium because “our efforts have been met with no legislative partnership” from Illinois officials.
The letter is the latest twist in an already long and winding effort to find a new football home for the team that has played at Soldier Field along Lake Michigan in Chicago’s South Loop since 1971. The team has played games in the city since 1921, when the franchise then known as the Decatur Staleys moved from central Illinois.
Bears officials have changed course multiple times, saying at various points that their lone focus was on building a new stadium alongside Soldier Field or within a larger development in northwest suburban Arlington Heights. That plan is for the 326-acre former Arlington International Racecourse property that the Bears bought for $197.2 million in early 2023. The stakes can be larger, with any project potentially attracting for commercial development.
As recently as September, the Bears said in an open letter to fans that their sole focus was on finalizing a plan for the Arlington Heights site.
But Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has consistently pushed back about the idea of the state providing state taxpayer dollars to help pay for costs of infrastructure supporting a multibillion-dollar stadium project. The Bears also are seeking property tax breaks for the new stadium.
Warren’s letter said state leaders have told the Bears that the stadium project “will not be a priority in 2026, despite the benefits it will bring to Illinois.”
Weighing Indiana against Illinois
The team’s lease at city-owned Soldier Field ends in 2033, meaning the Bears are on the clock to kick off a lengthy stadium project.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun immediately said on social media and in statements to media that he would work with the Bears on a stadium plan.
The northwest corner of Indiana is considered part of the broader Chicago metropolitan area. The Bears have not specified where in Indiana a stadium might go.
“Suggesting the Bears would move to Indiana is a startling slap in the face to all the beloved and loyal fans who have been rallying around the team during this strong season," a Pritzker spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "The governor’s a Bears fan who has always wanted them to stay in Chicago. He has also said that ultimately they are a private business.”
Warren described the Arlington Heights site as the only viable option in Cook County.
“Over the past several years, we have worked in good faith with Illinois leaders and made clear our commitment and readiness to invest more than $2 billion by the Chicago Bears, one of the largest private investments in state and NFL history,” Warren wrote.
“We have not asked for state taxpayer dollars to build the stadium at Arlington Park,” Warren added. “We asked only for a commitment to essential local infrastructure (roads, utilities, and site improvements), which is more than typical for projects of this size. Additionally, we sought reasonable property tax certainty to secure financing. We listened to state leadership and relied on their direction and guidance, yet our efforts have been met with no legislative partnership.”