The idea of the Chicago Bears moving to northwest Indiana became a little bit more realistic on Thursday as the state identified a site in Hammond to build a new stadium.
That location near Wolf Lake would allow the Bears to construct a massive new stadium and entertainment district, and residents in the area are fascinated by the possibility of the Monsters of the Midway coming to town.
“Early on I was very skeptical, but any time you have an amazing opportunity in economic development you pursue and we pursued,” Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott said. “There was one day when property owners were being notified by the state of Indiana that they wanted to acquire their property for this deal. That’s when it started to get real for me.”
The Indiana Senate had previously passed a bill to finance construction of a new stadium for the Bears, with the team signing a 35-year lease to move their operations to the Hoosier State.
While there is no timeline on the Bears’ part as they weigh their options, the team did say that the stadium bill passed by an Indiana House committee Thursday was an important step.
Despite earlier comments that lawmakers would not push the bill forward without the team’s commitment to build in Indiana, the the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee passing an amended version of the bill unanimously Thursday.
“We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana. We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator Mishler and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe,” the Bears said. “We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to build our working relationship together.”
The news certainly caught the attention of business owners and residents.
“I’m pretty sure businesses would really appreciate them coming giving us business and we would really like appreciate new people coming and trying us. We always welcome people with welcome arms,” Magdalena Rojero, a cashier at Chela’s restaurant, said.
Restaurants would be busy, our hotels would be busy, our businesses would all be busier than they are now,” residents Teresa and John Tratar said. “It would revitalize this area.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun praised the measure.
“Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears,” Braun said in a statement. “We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal. If approved, the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 27 puts forward the essential framework to complete this agreement, contingent upon site due diligence proceeding smoothly.”
While the team has made no commitments to Indiana, the news Thursday did anger lawmakers in Springfield. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that his team met for more than three hours with the Bears on Wednesday, and were prepared to move forward with a bill addressing some of the parameters of a deal between the two sides to construct the stadium in Arlington Heights.
That bill was going to be debated in a committee hearing Thursday, but the Bears asked the state for more time to tweak the measure. That was before they issued a statement praising Indiana’s legislature.
“We have made a lot of advancement in that conversation with them. I’m surprised, dismayed, very disappointed in what I saw in a statement,” Pritzker said. “I have to say it’s very disappointing to hear that they would put that statement out but not say anything about the advancement that’s been made in the state of Illinois. We’re waiting to hear what the Bears would like to do next.”
Talks with the state of Illinois are expected to continue, but fans can expect the drama surrounding the Bears’ future home to continue.
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