The Chicago Bears gave a boost June 5 to the prospects of building the team’s new stadium in Northwest Indiana, which top Indiana officials immediately seized as a sign that the multibillion-dollar deal will happen.
The Bears released a statement saying the NFL franchise’s board of directors on June 4 “voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected.”
“We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city,” the statement said. “It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
The team did not specifically mention the Wolf Lake site near the state line in Hammond that has been under consideration for months as the possible location.
The announcement comes after Illinois legislators adjourned their spring session early June 1 without endorsing any response to Indiana’s stadium offer — approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Mike Braun in late February.
Indiana’s package would create a Hammond stadium district and direct more than $1 billion in taxpayer money toward district infrastructure.
Bears officials had said for several months that their stadium options were team-owned property in the northwestern Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights and the Hammond site.
Braun’s office released a statement in which the governor said “Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state!”
“We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the ‘85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come,” Braun said. “An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before.”
House Speaker Todd Huston, who carried the Indiana stadium bill, also celebrated the news.
“I am thrilled the Bears ownership voted to develop a world-class stadium facility in Hammond. This will be a transformative project for Northwest Indiana, benefiting our entire state. The Bears have been transparent and terrific partners throughout this process,” he said.
“Local elected leadership in Northwest Indiana and their constituents have been tremendous partners in making this happen. This is a fantastic win for Indiana, and I thank Governor Braun and his leadership team. The Bears join a long line of companies and residents choosing Indiana to invest, grow and pursue opportunity, and I look forward to many more making that choice.”
This story originally was published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence.
