The city of Gary is pitching three sites for a future Chicago Bears stadium. The city unveiled its proposal Jan. 16, complete with renderings of a potential “stadium district.”
A Buffington Harbor site would put a stadium next to Cline Avenue, between the Gary/Chicago Airport and Lake Michigan. It’s also adjacent to a rail line used by Amtrak trains. It would be the closest of the three proposed sites to the Bears’ current home at Soldier Field but also the smallest at 145 acres.
Another option would be to place a stadium along I-80/94, near the Hard Rock Casino and the future Lake County Convention Center. Renderings include the potential for a mixed-use district, with a promenade leading to the stadium.
The city’s third option would be along Lake Michigan, just east of U.S. Steel, near Miller Beach. It’s the largest of Gary’s proposed sites, but much of that land is currently owned by U.S. Steel or the National Park Service.
The Buffington Harbor and Miller sites are in both a TIF district and an Opportunity Zone.
Mayor Eddie Melton hopes that the Bears’ interest in Gary 30 years ago will make them willing to take another look. In a press release, Melton touted “waterfront views straight to Chicago’s skyline” and the support of “local, county and state leaders.” The city also pointed to lower tax rates than Illinois locations.
Meanwhile, legislation introduced in the Indiana General Assembly would create a “northwest Indiana stadium authority.” As written, the three-member board would consist of the director of the office of management and budget or a designee, someone appointed by the director of the office of management and budget, and the public finance director or a designee. The board would be able to acquire property – if necessary, by condemnation – issue bonds, build a facility, and lease it to an NFL team.
A separate law passed last year created a locally-appointed Professional Sports Development Commission that could put together a master plan to attract a team and potentially acquire property, as well.
Still, Gary’s proposal faces some competition. The Bears already own a site in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and the Northwest Indiana Times says the team has been exploring a site in Hammond by Wolf Lake, near the Illinois state line.