Bears say Chicago options exhausted, focus on Arlington Heights and Hammond

The Chicago Bears said Thursday they intend to leave the city after determining there is no viable site within Chicago for a new stadium. The franchise confirmed that it is now evaluating only two locations for an enclosed venue: Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Hammond, Indiana.

Team president Kevin Warren previously indicated the organization hoped to select a site in late spring or early summer. The club framed the update as the culmination of efforts to remain in the city that ultimately did not produce a workable solution.

The evaluation keeps Arlington Heights at the forefront, where the Bears own a 326-acre property targeted for a stadium-anchored complex. In Springfield, lawmakers have introduced legislation offering tax incentives for large-scale developments of at least $100 million, a framework that would cover the club’s proposal in Arlington Heights. Team officials have positioned a roofed stadium as central to year-round use and long-term stability.

Indiana leaders are simultaneously courting the franchise with a plan to finance and construct a domed stadium in Hammond, roughly 25 miles from Soldier Field. The cross-border option would place the team outside Chicago’s city limits while keeping it within the broader metro area. Warren has described both candidates as strong sites as the front office compares timelines, costs and approvals.

Arlington Heights land and Illinois incentives

The Bears’ Arlington Heights parcel provides an uncommon degree of control for an NFL team, as the franchise already owns the site. Club planning has centered on an enclosed stadium connected to a broader development. Legislators have proposed targeted tax relief for qualifying “megaprojects,” and officials say the measure is designed to catalyze private investment and related infrastructure.

Backers of the Illinois approach view the package as a way to keep the team in-state while enabling a modern venue. Any final plan would still require detailed design, financing arrangements and local approvals, steps the franchise has said it is assessing alongside the broader business case for a multiuse campus.

Indiana outreach and Hammond dome proposal

In neighboring Indiana, state officials are advancing a blueprint to attract the Bears by underwriting a domed facility in Hammond. The location sits near the Illinois border and offers highway access to Chicago’s South Side and the wider region. A move to Hammond would mark the franchise’s first home games outside Illinois since its 1920 founding, underscoring the significance of the decision under review.

For Indiana, the pitch centers on a turnkey path to a roofed stadium and the economic activity that typically accompanies a major sports venue. For the team, the proposal presents an alternative route to an enclosed field if Illinois negotiations stall. The club has not committed to a specific financing model while it compares the two options.

Century-long ties to Chicago

The Bears are an original NFL franchise that began play in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys before moving to Chicago in 1921. They played at Wrigley Field through 1970 and have called Soldier Field home for more than half a century. Despite their long tenure, the team has never owned its stadium. The current search aims to end that pattern by pairing a new, enclosed stadium with a broader development outside city limits.

Team officials said they had “exhausted every opportunity” to remain in Chicago. With only Arlington Heights and Hammond left in contention, the organization will weigh public policy developments, site control and project timelines. A decision window identified by the club last month points to late spring or early summer for choosing a path forward.

The franchise is expected to continue due diligence on both sites in the coming weeks. Watch for legislative progress in Illinois and Indiana, as well as signals from the club on preferred financing and permitting milestones ahead of a final site selection.