Bears Threaten Move To Northwest Indiana After State Leaders Balk At Arlington Heights Stadium Aid

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears are once again looking for a new stadium site after a breakdown in talks over state financial aid for its planned Arlington Heights facility, the team announced Wednesday.

Bears President Kevin Warren said in a letter to fans Wednesday that the team is expanding its stadium location search beyond Arlington Heights — and that it will consider locations in Northwest Indiana and elsewhere in the region.

The reopening of the search comes three months after the Bears made official its plans to build a domed stadium in west suburban Arlington Heights that would anchor a large team-owned development.

But since then, talks regarding financial assistance and tax breaks for the planned stadium have stalled, with Warren saying state government leaders have told the team their project will “not be a priority” in Springfield next year.

“Consequently, in addition to Arlington Park, we need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana,” Warren wrote in the letter posted to the team’s Instagram.

The Bears previously selected — and purchased — the former horse racing grounds in Arlington Heights after trying to strike a deal to build a new stadium on Chicago’s lakefront. City officials spent years lobbying the team and state lawmakers to help keep the team in Chicago.

In 2022, former mayor Lori Lightfoot pitched the idea of a $2.2 billion dome over Soldier Field in an effort to keep the team on the lakefront.

Last year, Mayor Brandon Johnson went on a media blitz to sell taxpayers on the idea of a new, publicly funded $4.7 billion stadium that would’ve been a stone’s throw from the current stadium.

Neither Bears brass nor Gov. JB Pritzker were convinced, with the latter slamming the idea of using public space and taxpayer money for the project.

A spokesperson for Pritzker said in a statement Wednesday the Bears’ move to reopen its location search is a “slap in the face” to fans.

“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,” Pritzker spokesperson Matt Hill said in a 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.”

The move to Arlington Heights would give the Bears ownership over the stadium and allow it to develop acres of land for a mixed-use development including hotels, shops and other uses. The team hoped the site would host events like the Super Bowl, college basketball’s Final Four, global soccer games and concerts.

“Arlington Heights is the only site within Cook County that meets that standard. It allows us to better serve our fan base and deliver a truly transformative and elevated gameday experience,” Warren said in September.

After buying the Arlington Heights property, the team embarked on protracted talks with the village over its property taxes. It also sought state help in building out the site’s infrastructure, while saying the team intended to invest move than $2 billion into the project.

“We listened to state leadership and relied on their direction and guidance, yet our efforts have been met with no legislative partnership,” Warren wrote in Wednesday’s letter. “This is not about leverage. … Our players and coaches deserve a venue that matches the championship standard they strive for every day. With that in mind, our organization must keep every credible pathway open to deliver that future.”

The Bears have called Soldier Field, owned by the Chicago Park District, home since 1971.

Illinois Rep. Kam Buckner, whose district includes Soldier Field, said in a social media statement that funding for a private stadium development “doesn’t crack the top 100 things the people of Illinois are asking for, expecting, or willing to tolerate right now.”

“As people across Illinois are reeling from the weight of rising property taxes, they are not interested in a professional sports franchise cutting to the front of the line for a property tax break while families are still fighting to make their own tax bills make sense,” Buckner said in a post on the social media platform X.

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