Bears Advance $2 Billion Hammond Stadium Plan as Illinois Tax Break Effort Collapses
Updated
Updated · Chicago Sun-Times · Jun 5
Bears Advance $2 Billion Hammond Stadium Plan as Illinois Tax Break Effort Collapses
3 articles · Updated · Chicago Sun-Times · Jun 5
Summary
$2 billion from the Bears will back a proposed Hammond, Indiana stadium after the board voted to move the project forward, though the exact site is still to be selected.
Illinois lost ground when legislation meant to cut the team's Arlington Heights tax burden died, and a last-minute House rescue failed after the Senate passed an alternative stadium-financing bill.
Indiana had already approved a favorable framework three months ago, creating a stadium authority funded by admissions, hotel, restaurant and toll taxes while letting the Bears keep stadium revenue and potentially buy the venue in 40 years.
Arlington Heights remains technically in play if Illinois delivers property-tax certainty on the Bears' 326-acre site, but the vote sharply tilts the 106-year-old franchise toward playing home games out of state for the first time.