Overview
- Hammond officials say the Chicago Bears are focused on Hammond and that the team has told the mayor an announcement is expected soon, but the Bears have not publicly confirmed details.
- Extensive soil sampling and environmental testing at a primary Hammond parcel and a second nearby site, including areas near Wolf Lake, have pushed the project timeline back by months while engineers assess contamination and buildability.
- Bears leadership is conducting due diligence on a second Hammond parcel and has publicly ruled out returning to the Arlington Heights racetrack site the team still owns.
- The full project is reported to be about $4 billion with Indiana offering up to $1 billion in incentives, and Hammond officials are coordinating with U.S. senators to try to resolve remaining federal and regulatory issues.
- The team has said it hopes to open the stadium in 2029, but that target depends on test results, negotiated agreements and clearing outstanding environmental and permitting hurdles, with local leaders pointing to September as the next checkpoint.