There is no definite deal with Indiana officials.
It is Hammond, Indiana or bust for the National Football League’s Chicago Bears’ ownership group. The business’ CEO Kevin Warren that the Bears owners are focused on building a “world-class stadium and mixed-use development in Hammond, Indiana. Even though we have had occasional meetings with the state of Illinois, our sole focus at this point in time is working a world-class stadium and mixed-use development in Hammond, Indiana.” The state of Indiana has put together a financial package that was attractive enough for the Bears’ ownership to go ahead with a plan to build a stadium-village.
Hammond is about 30 miles south of Chicago. An Indiana stadium finance authority could authorize taxes on football tickets, hotel rooms, restaurants and tolls to raise money to help build the publicly-owned stadium. Bears’ ownership would retain all game, concert and event-related revenue. The Bears would play rent-free for at least 30 years with the option to purchase the stadium for a dollar after 40 years. The Bears ownership’s Arlington Heights’ stadium-village plan was first revealed in 2023. The Bears’ ownership bought the Arlington Park racetrack property in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights in February 2023 for $197 million. Bears’ ownership was set to build a stadium-village in town but then came the property tax bill. Last fall, Kevin Warren told his customers it’s Arlington Heights time. The business has to leave Chicago and set up shop in a small Chicago suburb. But there was no financial plan at the time and no Illinois financial plan ever came together. Hammond has had an NFL franchise. The Hammond Pros were a charter member of the American Professional Football Association, which began play in 1920 and soon became the National Football League. The franchise competed in the NFL from 1920 through 1926.
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