The Bears hailed Indiana politicians taking the first step to create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority as a “significant milestone” in the team’s discussions to build a home stadium across state lines rather than the 326 acres the team owns in Arlington Heights.
The Indiana Legislature’s Senate Bill 27, amended Thursday, would authorize the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to acquire land, finance improvements and enter into leases with a private business such as the Bears.
“The legislation presented by the State of Indiana is a significant milestone in our discussions around a potential stadium development in Chicagoland’s Northwest Indiana region,” a Bears spokesperson said in a statement. “We appreciate the leadership and responsiveness of Governor [Mike] Braun and Indiana lawmakers in advancing a framework that allows these conversations to move forward productively.”
It’s the latest of the team’s flirtations with Northwest Indiana.
Over the weekend, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell joined chairman George McCaskey and president/CEO Kevin Warren on tours of the Arlington Heights property, plus sites near Wolf Lake in Hammond and near Hard Rock Casino in Gary.
In his State of the State address Wednesday, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said it was “not surprising that another organization has noticed that Indiana is open for business — the Chicago Bears.”
On Monday, the Bears sent a survey to season-ticket holders asking questions about a new dome “approximately 20 miles from Chicago” in Indiana. They sent out a similar survey when they began their push for Arlington Heights. The Bears said last month they’d consider Indiana sites, with Warren writing that Bears “have been told directly by [Illinois] state leadership, our project will not be a priority in 2026.”
