Governor Pritzker says a Bears stadium deal in Illinois could come soon, potentially by the first week of December.
The comments come as the Bears organization publicized news of a meeting earlier in the week that included team CEO Kevin Warren, Chairman George McCaskey, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, legislative leaders and a top official from Pritzker’s office.
Pritzker said the meeting was to finalize legislation that leaders could present to rank-and-file members by the time they head back to Springfield Nov. 17.
“We wanna make sure the legislation is ready for people to look at and maybe have some hearings during that first week and then hopefully get voted on during the second week of the veto,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference Friday.
But Hammond, Indiana, isn’t out of it yet, according to a Bears statement.
“We continue to work collaboratively with local and state leaders in Indiana to advance our stadium development plans in Hammond, where we are finalizing due diligence details across two sites in the Wolf Lake area,” the statement reads. “At the same time, we appreciate the recent engagement from Illinois leadership to explore legislation which has allowed us to share our feedback.”
The legislation would require the Bears to pay for construction of the stadium.
Once completed, the team would hand over ownership to a new Public Stadium Authority, meaning the Bears would be tenants and pay no property taxes. The team would likely get money for infrastructure, and sources say discussions include sweeteners for Chicago – specifically, resources to make Soldier Field viable for other uses once the Bears leave. Bears officials say Arlington Heights is their sole focus in Illinois, but the legislation would give Chicago a crack at the site as well. On Friday, megadeveloper Related Midwest – in a video narrated by former Bears linebacker Lance Briggs – pitched the massive former U.S. Steel location on the south lakefront.
“Obviously there’s a bill that’s being put together that gives the Bears the opportunity to choose where they want to build a stadium in Illinois. And and then it’s going to be up to them where it goes,” Pritzker said.
But it’s a race against time, as team officials pursue plans in Indiana and Illinois simultaneously.
“We expect productive dialogue with both leadership teams in the coming weeks,” the Bears statement said.
A deal between the team and legislative leaders does not ensure passage.
Per veto session rules, any bill would need a super-majority of votes to pass. That means the team will have to convince some previous holdouts to switch their votes. The last day of the fall veto session is Dec. 3.
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