'Not surprising': Chicago mayor reacts to Bears' new Indiana stadium announcement – USA Today

Don’t count Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson among those stunned by the news of the Chicago Bears pursuing a new potential stadium in Hammond, Indiana.
On June 5, the Chicago-based NFL franchise announced it planned to “advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected.” Roughly an hour after the Bears posted their most recent stadium project update to social media, the Chicago mayor’s office released its own statement.
“Over the last several years the Bears have stated their intentions in multiple jurisdictions, today’s announcement is not surprising,” the statement reads. “It’s also not surprising that Bears officials have stated this vote does not mean a move to Hammond is a done deal.
“Without a final site selection, until we see shovels in the ground in Hammond, the City of Chicago will continue to engage in discussions grounded in the interests of our residents.”
Taxes and state funding have long been at the center of the Bears’ search for a new stadium site. The team initially purchased the Arlington International Racecourse site in Arlington Heights – a suburb of Chicago – in 2023. Their intention at the time was to build a new 60,000-seat stadium on the property. In early 2024, those plans shifted when “negotiations over property taxes reached a $100 million impasse,” according to ESPN.
The team revealed a new solution when it announced a planned $2 billion investment to build a new stadium on the Lake Michigan lakeshore, south of Soldier Field, with some of that cost dedicated to developing the surrounding area. That plan, which would have kept the Bears in Chicago proper, was scrapped ahead of the 2025 regular season as the team was unable to alleviate concerns about the “burden placed on taxpayers to fund the infrastructure,” Cronin wrote at the time.
Hammond emerged as a potential suitor for the Bears’ new stadium in December. Team president Kevin Warren announced in an open letter that the team was no longer prioritizing Chicago or Arlington Heights alone but had instead expanded its search to Northwest Indiana. Then, in February, Indiana lawmakers voted to create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to raise funds and develop a plan to build infrastructure for a new Bears stadium.
In May, the Bears released a statement suggesting they had narrowed their stadium search down to two options.
“The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, which was our initial goal,” the team said. “There is not a viable site in the city. As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond.”
The team’s June 5 statement regarding their plans for Hammond was the latest update, though it still does not indicate that a move has been finalized. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported as such shortly after the Bears’ initial statement, despite the team’s declaration that they were advancing their stadium development plan.
“Indiana is in the lead right now,” Cronin wrote on social media, “but “Illinois can still get back in the race,” granted the state has a lot of ground to make up after not passing legislation that would have insured the Bears property tax certainty.”
So even after the Bears’ June 5 announcement, the team’s stadium search still appears to be a two-horse race.
“The club has kept the stadium committee and the League apprised of all developments,” a league spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports in a statement on June 5.
The Bears have played within the Chicago city limits practically every season since George Halas moved the franchise from Decatur to Chicago and renamed the team from the Staleys to the Bears in 1922. For 50 years they played at Wrigley Field, home of MLB’s Chicago Cubs, before moving to Soldier Field in 1971. The 2002 season was the only year they played all of their home games outside of Chicago – they remained in Illinois, playing at Memorial Stadium in Champaign – while Soldier Field was renovated.

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