Chicago Bears take step to build and move to new stadium in Indiana

The Chicago Bears announced Friday that they are moving forward with a plan to build a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, which would move the sports team out of Illinois.

The announcement comes after the Bears' board of directors voted Thursday to advance their stadium development plans in Hammond, although the exact site of the domed stadium is still to be determined, according to ESPN.

"We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana and the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across the neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city," Bears chairman George H. McCaskey and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement.

The announcement does not mean that the NFL team will officially move across state lines but indicates that Indiana is in the lead for the team's new home, the outlet reported.

A spokesperson for Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said the governor still wants the team to remain in his state but that the team's recent shifting has hindered progress toward a stadium deal. 

"The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location," Pritzker spokesperson Matt Hill told ESPN. "Today appears to be another instance of that after Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith. Governor Pritzker has always been clear that he wants the Bears to stay in Illinois and still remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers."

The team, which currently owns property in Illinois, said it cannot build a stadium without property tax certainty, which Indiana ensured in February. Indiana also offered the team up to $1 billion in incentives to relocate to Hammond.

"We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the '85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come," Indiana GOP Gov. Mike Braun said in a statement. "An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven't seen before."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.