The Chicago Bears still don’t have a final decision on their stadium.
In the team’s Thursday press conference, officials said the team is continuing with its plans for a stadium in Hammond, Indiana, though they noted conversations with Illinois remain ongoing.
“We’ve been working diligently to complete all of the topographical studies, the geographical studies, environmental studies, in addition to assembling the land that’s needed, to build a world-class stadium project and also mixed use development and also working on the financing and the capital stock that’s required to bring this project to life,” General Manager Kevin Warren said in a press conference Thursday.
Warren revealed the team has shifted their focus from their original site in Hammond to a secondary site at Wolf Lake.
“That’s the new site that we’ve been able to find. While we were working on the Lost Marsh site, we discovered a potentially new site that could even be as good or better than the Lost Marsh site. So we’re in the middle of that due diligence. It’s a lot of work,” Warren said. “That happens on a daily basis. We are in regular, almost daily communication with the state of Indiana working on this.”
Soil samples were taken from the area and were analyzed, and officials are hopeful that environmental issues encountered at other locations in Hammond will be addressed by shifting the project closer to the state line, with that site just 19 miles from downtown Chicago.
The press conference comes after the mayor of Hammond, Indiana, said the team was “making an announcement” Thursday.
After a so-called “PILOT” bill failed to pass the Illinois General Assembly before the conclusion of the legislative session, the Bears announced they were focusing their stadium efforts on sites in northwest Indiana. There, state officials had paved the way for the project by promising up to $1 billion and a host of other incentives to convince the team to move across the border and to build a new stadium, likely in an area near Hammond.
Despite doubling down on plans for Indiana – literally – Warren noted that conversations are ongoing with Illinois, though he said he could not say if Chicago was still under consideration.
“There is nothing in writing,” he said. “We don’t have an offer from the state of Illinois and our focus now is on Indiana. And obviously, like I said, there have been occasional meetings that have taken place. But right now our focus is on on Hammond, Indiana, to make sure that we bring that to life.”
Warren did not give specifics on when a final decision could be announced, saying “it’s reached that point now where we are starting to get some clarity.”
“The moment that we finish our due diligence and have the appropriate capital stack and financing together, we are looking forward to making the decision so we can break ground and get our project going forward,” Warren said.
When asked if the team still had hope to stay in Illinois, team Chairman George McCaskey said “hope is not a strategy.”
“We have to deal with the here and now. We have to deal with real circumstances. And these are the real circumstances,” he said.
McCaskey reassured fans that regardless of where the stadium lands, the team’s name will remain unchanged.
“No, we will be the Chicago Bears, whether we’re in Arlington or whether we’re in Hammond. And as Kevin said, our focus is on Hammond. That’s where we’re advancing our efforts, and that’s where the bulk of our time, attention and resources are being devoted.”
McCaskey said he understood fan concerns surrounding the potential move out of state.
“Yeah, we feel that anxiety. We feel that stress. We talked about this in March. It’s going to require an adjustment,” he said. “But when I’ve driven that route, other than a sign telling me so, I wouldn’t know that I’ve just crossed the state border.”
“We are doing, surveying, research, data collection, to address those issues,” he added. “And as I said months ago, this is going to require an adjustment, but it required an adjustment when we went from Wrigley to Soldier. It required an adjustment when we went from Soldier to Champaign temporarily, and it required an adjustment when we came back to the ‘new Soldier Field.’ That’s how it works.”
As for where things seemed to fall apart in Illinois, both Warren and McCaskey said they could not say.
Illinois lawmakers had discussed potentially convening a special session of the legislature, with one of the potential items of debate being a bill aimed at keeping the Bears within the state. That has not yet occurred, and it’s unclear whether Chicago lawmakers will be onboard with an effort to have the Bears build a stadium in the suburbs.
When asked what could come of the former Arlington Racecourse property in Arlington Heights, McCaskey said “we haven’t really gotten that far.”
Hence then, the article about bears give stadium update in indiana reveal where things stand with illinois was published today ( ) and is available on NBC Chicago ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Bears give stadium update in Indiana, reveal where things stand with Illinois )
Also on site :
- Walmart’s Solar-Powered Smart Bird Bath Turns Your Backyard Into a Nature ‘Sanctuary,’ and It’s 62% Off
- Wix.com Ltd. Sued for Securities Law Violations - Contact the DJS Law Group to Discuss Your Rights - WIX
- Amazon’s Scalloped Cardigan Is a ‘Lightweight’ Layer for the Summer-to-Fall Transition, Now Under $20