Indiana Approves Bears Stadium Plan, Turns Up Heat on Illinois

There is now a fully approved bill in Indiana to help fund a new, domed stadium for the Bears, while legislators in Illinois are scrambling to catch up to the rapid developments in the neighboring state.

As expected, the Indiana state senate approved Thursday a funding framework for a stadium and mixed-use development in Hammond, Ind., in the state’s northwest corner. The bipartisan measure passed by a 45–4 vote, following a similarly overwhelming approval by the state House on Tuesday by a 95–4 margin. 

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, an outspoken advocate of bringing the NFL team across the border, quickly signed the measure into law, and the legislation will create a state board to finance bonds toward the stadium. In a Thursday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Braun bluntly said Indiana’s opportunity came heavily from nearly three years of political inaction in Illinois.

“They came to us. We didn’t try to lure them,” Braun said of the Bears. “They were being told bluntly [by Illinois], ‘You’ve got to build your own stadium. We’re not putting any taxpayer dollars into it.’ We never got ahead of our skis.”

The Indiana public funding, somewhat similar to the structure used to help build Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, would be backed by a series of local taxes. Those would include a doubling of the hotel tax in Lake County, Ind., an admissions tax on stadium events, and the capturing of taxes from a mixed-use development around the venue.

Illinois Response

The House Revenue and Finance committee in Illinois, meanwhile, also passed a “Mega Projects” bill that would allow the Bears, or any other large developer, to negotiate tax rates with local municipalities. This particular issue, worth tens of millions of dollars to the team, has been the hurdle preventing the Bears from simply building on land they already own in suburban Arlington Heights. 

The 13–7 committee vote was along party lines.

The passage moves the bill to the full state House. There’s no guarantee of further movement, however, as division on the overall Bears issue persists between the Chicago-area delegation and downstate Illinois legislators. That group is particularly interested in what happens to the Soldier Field area after the Bears leave, and the roughly $500 million in outstanding debt from a 2003 stadium renovation. 

“We’ve still got some things to work on, including Chicago and what happens with Chicago and a Chicago package,” Democratic state Rep. Kam Buckner told the Chicago Sun-Times. 

Almost Decision Time

Even with the Indiana funding legislation done, a signed deal with the Bears for the team to move and build in Hammond is not necessarily imminent. The Bears are still waiting to see what may emerge from Illinois legislators in the coming days.

Also forthcoming are preliminary environmental findings on the Hammond site, which is near Wolf Lake. 

Because of all that, the Bears issued a careful and noncommittal statement late Thursday.

“Indiana has taken important steps over the last few months, and we are grateful for the leadership reflected by Gov. Braun signing SB27, establishing the framework for a stadium development in Northwest Indiana,” the team said. “We continue to work on the necessary due diligence and appreciate the ongoing engagement with Indiana state and local leaders.”