The Indiana Bears? Could the Chicago Bears really move to Indiana? It’s certainly possible after the Illinois General Assembly ended its spring session without a deal to help fund the Bears’ new stadium plans in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
At around 3:40 a.m. on Monday, the Illinois Senate approved a proposal that would allow some municipalities in Cook County to create stadium authorities to help support a new Bears stadium. Unfortunately, that didn’t leave enough time for the Illinois House of Representatives to act on it before adjourning.
“The bill came over from the Senate after many of us had been up for 20 hours and it is not enough time to vet a really important bill,” Rep. Lindsey LaPointe said, Front Office Sports reported. “Many of us are going to scrutinize anything that is potentially a tax giveaway to the super wealthy or big corporations.”
In a statement released early Monday morning, the Chicago Bears said, “We will finalize our evaluation of both Arlington Heights and Hammond [Indiana], and remain on the late spring/early summer timeline that we have previously communicated. We will provide an update when we have a decision to share.”
Arlington Heights mayor Jim Tinaglia also expressed disappointment at the bill’s lack of approval before the government’s spring session ended.
“The Village of Arlington Heights has spent the past five years working diligently to prepare for the redevelopment of Arlington Park,” Tinaglia said in a statement. “We are truly disappointed with the outcome from the spring legislative session yet again. Although we recognize that these discussions are complex and involve many stakeholders, this is clearly a fumble for the state of Illinois.”
The Illinois bill would provide similar benefits to the Bears as the Indiana plan
If the bill had been approved, Illinois’ stadium authority would have created a plan similar to Hammond, Indiana’s plan, giving the Bears complete control over a stadium they wouldn’t own for decades. This would also have allowed the team to avoid paying property taxes and collect revenue. Additionally, it provides the Bears with a way to secure more government funding for the “mixed-use development” it intends to construct outside the stadium on the 326-acre property in Arlington Heights.
“Unless there’s a meaningful change in Illinois, and quick, the team is going to Indiana,” Marc Ganis, a Chicago-based sports consultant who works frequently with the NFL, told Front Office Sports. “Not only is there disappointment by what’s happened, but there’s been a loss of credibility [in Illinois]. Sports fans in Illinois have now really seen, maybe for the first time, how dysfunctional Illinois government really is. The politicians wasted five months [during the spring session] and didn’t really talk to each other.”
“Indiana did what they were asked to do,” said Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott. “Illinois couldn’t do what they were asked to do. So I’m confident the Bears are going to choose Hammond.”