Bears’ ownership got needed leverage in the stadium game.
The stadium game is heating up in Springfield, Illinois and in places like Gary, Indiana and Portage, Indiana. In Springfield, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker claimed that his administration has made “progress” in keeping the National Football League’s Chicago Bears franchise in the state. Bears’ ownership planned to build a stadium-village in Arlington Heights, Illinois but state funding for the project has not been forthcoming. That opened the door for Indiana lawmakers to swoop in and attempt to convince Bears’ ownership that Indiana is the place for the owners to relocate the business and that Indiana taxpayers would be willing to help fund the multi-billion-dollar project that would include a stadium, housing, office and retail space.
Gary, Indiana political leaders have drawn up plans to entice Bears ownership to move to the northwest part of the state. Now there is another Indiana municipality ready to greet the Bears’ ownership with a proposal. Portage, with a population of 37,926 which is the third largest city in northwest Indiana, is in the picture. Portage is about 42 miles southeast of Chicago. Portage Mayor Austin Bonta said the city has proposed to build a stadium on 300 acres of city-owned land on the north side of the city. “We have a proposal for a privately funded stadium on city-owned land,” Bonta said. In December the CEO of the Bears’ franchise, Kevin Warren, announced that the business was going to expand its stadium search. It is all about leverage. Warren got Indiana Governor Mike Braun to express interest in putting together a proposal for a Bears’ stadium-village. Warren was then able to go back to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and say see they are interested. Are you going to change your mind and allocate funding for our project? Warren got leverage. Leverage is the name of the game in the stadium game.
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