Chicago Bears Pin Stadium Plans on Hammond, Indiana

The team has completed due-diligence on the Lost Marsh Golf Course site and is evaluating a second location near the Wolf Lake Terminal. No formal offer has been received from Illinois, and the Bears have pledged $2 billion of private capital, while Indiana has committed up to $1 billion in public funding through a new stadium authority.

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The Bears have pursued a new home since purchasing the former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights for $197 million in 2023. Legislative attempts in Illinois to provide tax-exempt status stalled in June 2026, and a veto session is not scheduled until November. Indiana responded with a stadium-authority bill in February 2026, offering tax-free ownership and infrastructure support, shifting the Bears’ primary attention across the state line.

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• Projected construction-cost increase: $150 million per year.

Elburn Herald

• Private investment pledged: $2 billion.

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• Indiana public contribution: $1 billion plus infrastructure improvements.

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• Lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033, with an early-termination option.

Elburn Herald

• Kevin Warren said daily communication with Indiana officials makes the partnership “phenomenal,” noting property-tax certainty and infrastructure support absent in Illinois.

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• George McCaskey, owner and chairman, affirmed the team will keep the “Chicago Bears” name regardless of location and stressed the need for a “world-class stadium.”

Sports Illustrated

• Indiana Governor Mike Braun confirmed bi-weekly talks and said the development could become one of the region’s largest projects.

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• Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has not presented a written proposal; Warren described Illinois engagement as “minimal.”

Chicago Bears lower odds of Illinois stadium. See what they said

• Sources differ on the timeline for a final site decision; earlier “late spring or early summer” targets have been retracted.

Sports Illustrated

• Details of Indiana’s $1 billion contribution and the bond structure of the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority remain undisclosed.

Elburn Herald

• “Our sole focus at this point in time is working on a world-class stadium and mixed-use development in Hammond, Indiana,” — Kevin Warren

Elburn Herald

• “We’re in regular, almost daily communication with the state of Indiana working on this,” — Kevin Warren

Elburn Herald

• “As I said months ago, this is going to require an adjustment,” — George McCaskey

Elburn Herald

The Bears aim to finalize site selection and secure financing before construction costs rise further. Indiana officials say the stadium authority can issue bonds and acquire land once due-diligence is complete, potentially accelerating the break-ground timeline. Illinois lawmakers have a narrow window to present a viable legislative package before the November veto session, but no formal offer has been submitted.

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