The Chicago Bears are widening their stadium search, which includes looking beyond Illinois' own borders. In an open letter to fans released Wednesday, team president and CEO Kevin Warren said the franchise will "critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana," as it hunts for a site for a new "world-class" domed stadium. That's a notable change from previous plans focused on Arlington Heights in Cook County, where the team bought the former Arlington International Racecourse site for $197 million in 2023 (before Warren's tenure) and pitched a $5 billion mixed-use development anchored by a 60,000-seat fixed-roof stadium, per ESPN.
Warren insisted the broader search isn't a negotiating tactic. He said years of work in Cook County, including the Arlington Heights project and a more recent push for a privately funded lakefront stadium south of Soldier Field, have stalled amid battles over property taxes, infrastructure costs, and public financing. The team has been seeking tax certainty and roughly $855 million in public money for infrastructure and related costs, while stressing it isn't asking the state to pay for the stadium itself.
Gov. JB Pritzker, through a spokesperson, criticized the idea of a possible move to Indiana as a "startling slap in the face" to fans, while acknowledging the team is a private business. The franchise's lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033, but the Bears have repeatedly said they want to break ground on a new venue by the end of this year. In September, Warren said that venue would be in Arlington Heights. The renewed stadium drama is unfolding as the 10-4 Bears prepare to host the rival Green Bay Packers on Saturday in one of the most consequential home games Chicago has seen at Soldier Field in years. With a win, the team could potentially clinch its first playoff spot since 2020 and take a big step toward the NFC North division title, per NBC Chicago.
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