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The latest chapter in the Chicago Bears stadium saga unfolded this week as an Indiana House panel unanimously approved legislation establishing a funding framework for a possible NFL facility.
Senate Bill 27 was approved by the House Ways and Means Committee and now goes to the full House for a vote. The House will need to pass the bill before the legislature adjourns at the end of February.
The bill would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, granting the new agency authority to oversee land acquisition and coordinate funding for the construction of a state-of-the-art facility near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana.
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A general view of the exterior of Soldier Field is seen during a preseason game between the Chicago Bears and the Miami Dolphins on August 14, 2021 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun, House Speaker Todd Huston and Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott jointly announced the committee’s 24-0 vote Thursday.
“Indiana is open for business,” Braun said. “We have identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework to negotiate a final agreement.”
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The Bears responded to the news by releasing a statement describing the Indiana development as “the most significant step in our stadium planning efforts to date.”
“We are committed to completing remaining site-specific due diligence work to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area of Hammond, Indiana,” the team’s statement added.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has emphasized his position that the NFL franchise should remain in the city that bears the team’s name.
“The Bears’ place in the city of Chicago,” he said at a news conference.
“I’ve said many times the door is always open for conversations. (Bears CEO) Kevin Warren called me yesterday, we haven’t had a chance to connect. I still firmly believe their best position is in Chicago and the evidence clearly speaks for itself.”
A general view during the U.S. national anthem before an NFL game between the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals at Soldier Field on December 24, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Jamie Sabau/USA TODAY Sports)
The Bears alternated between developing land in Arlington Heights and rebuilding on Chicago’s lakefront at Soldier Field, before returning to the suburbs. The Bears have played at historic Soldier Field since 1971. The lakefront stadium opened in 1924 and has undergone numerous renovations over the decades.
The Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday morning on a bill that would allow the Bears and any other developer of a large enough project to negotiate long-term property tax rates with local taxing agencies. But it was canceled.
A general view of the Chicago Bears helmets before the start of the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on September 28, 2025 in Paradise, Nevada. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
“Illinois was prepared to move this bill forward,” Matt Hill, deputy chief of staff for communications for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, wrote on
The Bears hosted two playoff games at Soldier Field in January, beating division rival Green Bay in a wild-card thriller. The following week, the Los Angeles Rams outlasted the Bears in a frigid Divisional Round game in Chicago.
Bears close in on Indiana after House plan clears stadium measure, Gov. Braun says state ‘open for business’
