Overview
- CEO Kevin Warren said Illinois leaders told the team the Arlington Park project will not be a 2026 priority, leading the Bears to evaluate sites across the region, including Northwest Indiana.
- The Bears say they are not seeking state funding for stadium construction and want infrastructure commitments plus property‑tax certainty through mechanisms such as a PILOT.
- Consultant reports posted by the team and Arlington Heights this fall outlined roughly $855 million in public infrastructure needs tied to the proposed development.
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, via a spokesperson, criticized relocation talk and warned against placing costs on taxpayers, while Indiana Gov. Mike Braun publicly invited the team to build across the state line.
- No site has been selected, with places such as Hammond and Gary discussed publicly, and independent economists caution that large subsidies often fail to deliver projected economic benefits.