The Chicago Bears are done waiting on Illinois.
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren declared Thursday, Aug. 13, at Halas Hall in Lake Forest that Hammond, Indiana is the franchise's "sole focus" for a new stadium and mixed-use development. He named two specific sites and confirmed the McCaskey family has committed $2 billion in private money toward the project.
"We don't have any legislation in Illinois. We don't have a deal with Illinois. Our focus, again, at this point in time, is in Hammond, Indiana, and we're doing everything that we possibly can," Warren told reporters, according to Patch.
For Evanston residents who make the trip to Soldier Field, the geography is notable. Hammond sits roughly 20 miles south of Soldier Field, according to the Associated Press. Soldier Field is about 14 miles south of Evanston. A Hammond stadium would put game day farther from the North Shore than the current setup, but not drastically so.
Two Hammond sites in play
Warren identified two properties under consideration: the Lost Marsh Golf Course, where due diligence is complete and the land has been confirmed viable for construction, and the Wolf Lake Terminal site, where environmental studies continue. He said the team may merge both into a single larger development.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has personally visited the Lost Marsh property, Warren said.
Indiana has authorized up to $1 billion in public funding through a combination of a 1% food-and-beverage tax in Lake and Porter counties, a 5% hotel tax in Lake County, a 12% admissions tax on stadium events and special tax districts around the site, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Warren said the team is in "regular, almost daily communication" with Indiana officials.
Illinois talks stall
Bears Chairman George McCaskey called discussions with Illinois lawmakers since the board's June 5 vote to focus on Hammond "minimal." The Bears have no written proposal before the state, he said.
Gov. JB Pritzker, speaking at the Illinois State Fair the same morning, confirmed the Bears have not presented bill language to his administration. Pritzker said he is still working to keep the team in Illinois.
Warren said the team's requirements for an Illinois project have never changed: property tax certainty and infrastructure certainty. Neither has materialized.
McCaskey said the Bears' argument for their Arlington Heights site was "unsuccessful" in Springfield. The team purchased the 326-acre former Arlington Park property for $197.2 million in 2023.
Warren said stadium development costs are rising by nearly $150 million per year, adding urgency. He declined to set a timeline for a final decision.
What stays the same
The franchise will remain the "Chicago Bears" regardless of where the stadium lands, McCaskey said. He acknowledged fan anxiety about crossing state lines but argued Hammond's proximity makes the adjustment manageable, pointing to the Kansas City Chiefs' own cross-border stadium discussions.
The Bears' current lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033. The Illinois General Assembly's fall veto session, scheduled Nov. 17–19 and Dec. 1–3, represents the next window for any Illinois stadium legislation.
No Evanston-area state legislators have publicly commented on the announcement.
