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The Bears’ stadium saga that has twisted and turned for more than three years is now coming down to a final set of high-stakes days, with the NFL’s team future hanging in the balance.
The Illinois Senate is still grappling with a “megaprojects” bill that would allow the Bears to negotiate property tax rates for a proposed domed stadium project in suburban Arlington Heights. The state House passed the legislation four weeks ago, but since then, political infighting in the Prairie State has slowed progress on the bill considerably.
Numerous Chicago-area leaders, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, have continued to push to keep the Bears in the city. That’s still happening as the team, the NFL, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker have each insisted for months that there is not a viable urban site option and that the stadium issue is down to either Arlington Heights or an already-approved option in Hammond, Ind.
As a result, the Bears matter is a still-unresolved issue as Illinois wraps its legislative session on May 31. Team officials have consistently said they intend to make a decision by the early summer, and with construction costs on the planned $5 billion stadium and mixed-use development project rising by at least $10 million per month, time is of the essence.
“I’m fighting hard to make sure [the Bears can stay in Illinois],” Pritzker said. “Also very importantly, because my North Star is protecting the taxpayers of Illinois, is that we have something that works for the state of Illinois that’s fair with other businesses that want to come to Illinois or expand here, that we’re being fair in the allocation of support for a business expanding in the state while also protecting taxpayers across the state.”
The Bears issue also sparked an ongoing war of words between Pritzker and Johnson in which the governor said that the mayor had “no plan” regarding the Bears. Johnson jabbed back on WVON Radio that, “I’m not a billionaire. I’m not the heir of billions of dollars. …He doesn’t know what it’s like to open up a refrigerator and ain’t no food in it.”
Pritzker then fired back again, saying, “I think it’s about your values. It’s about what you really care about in life and who you focused on. And I’ve focused on the working class, the middle class, and people most vulnerable throughout my career.”
League Updates
As planned, the Bears’ stadium situation was part of the NFL’s one-day spring meeting held Tuesday in Orlando—a session that also included awarding of hosting rights to an upcoming Super Bowl and NFL Draft, further changes to the upcoming international schedule, and continued discussion on the league’s increasingly scrutinized media strategy.
Within the league, patience regarding the Bears’ stadium saga is undoubtedly running thin, as the NFL would like to see the team join an accelerating venue development boom that already includes other teams such as the Bills, Titans, Commanders, Browns, Chiefs, and Broncos.
“That [political] process is going on. The legislature in Illinois is obviously focused on that,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the conclusion of the meeting. “They’re getting into the final days of their session. I’ve spoken to [Pritzker] recently. I think there’s a focus on trying to get something done there, and then they’ll have two viable sites that the Bears can make their decision from.”
For that to truly happen, though, much has to happen in the next 11 days in Illinois. After the state Senate votes on the megaprojects bill, it would go back to the House for reconciliation.
