The Chicago Bears say they're willing to explore a move to Northwest Indiana.
The football team has been planning a new stadium in Arlington Heights, Illinois. But in a letter to fans Wednesday, Bears President & CEO Kevin Warren said the team hasn't been getting the help it wants from the Illinois legislature. Now, it wants to expand its search to include other locations.
Indiana State Representative Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago) has long been pushing for a major sports team to move to Northwest Indiana and recently authored a law that created a commission to help attract one. He says there are a few potential sites.
"Hammond, I believe, has some space there, so that would be an option," Harris said. "When you look at what's already going on in Gary with the Hard Rock Casino, the convention center which will be going up near Hard Rock, there is also space there."
He said there may also be some lakefront space available. Some options could potentially be closer to the Bears' current home at Soldier Field than an Arlington Heights stadium. Harris notes that Northwest Indiana has easy access to highways, the South Shore Line and the Gary/Chicago Airport.
"People that live in Chicago, that live in Illinois, that are thinking about, 'Oh, this is another state,' it's really not that far away," Harris said.
In his letter, Warren said the Bears' efforts to build a stadium in Arlington Heights "have been met with no legislative partnership." He said the team hasn't asked for taxpayer dollars from the state of Illinois to fund construction, but it has asked for "a commitment to essential local infrastructure" — like roads, utilities and site improvements — and "reasonable property tax certainty to secure financing." Still, Warren said the expanded search was "not about leverage."
Harris says he can't give a concrete proposal of what Indiana is willing to offer, but the response from elected officials indicates they're interested in working with them. On Facebook, Governor Mike Braun said "Let's get it done," while several local mayors voiced their support. Both Braun and Harris cited Indiana's "pro-business" climate.
Harris says it would be a good economic development opportunity. "It would mean a lot, in terms of labor and union jobs, in terms of building the stadium and everything that goes along with that — plus a lot of permanent jobs, which really gives an opportunity for young people to think about and have an opportunity to stay in Northwest Indiana and not look outside," Harris said.
He also thinks an NFL stadium would lead to more restaurants and entertainment venues. Harris said he hadn't spoken directly with the Bears organization, as of Thursday, but he planned to reach out soon.
Should discussions move forward, Harris said he's fine with the team remaining the "Chicago Bears," similar to New York's football teams that play in New Jersey. "It would be crazy and not a good decision to think about changing the name, at all," Harris added.
This isn't the first push to try to get the Bears to move to Northwest Indiana. Harris says his father was involved in an unsuccessful effort about 30 years ago.
"I'm proud as his son to have something that he worked on, to be able to get it across the goal, shall we say, in terms of the bill being passed, and then having this great opportunity, in terms of a team like the Chicago Bears coming in," Harris said.
He believes Northwest Indiana is now being seen as a more viable place for tourism, and people are taking a serious look at the Region.
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