CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears are sticking with their current timeline for selecting a site for a new stadium amid an uncertain future for a proposal in the Illinois state legislature that would provide incentives for the NFL team to build its new home in the state.The Illinois Senate passed a bill early Monday morning that would have cleared the way for Arlington Heights and Chicago to create local stadium authorities, creating a pathway for the Bears to avoid paying property taxes on a new stadium in Illinois. But the House adjourned without taking up the measure on the last day of the state’s spring legislative session.The Bears said they are finalizing their evaluation of possible stadium sites in Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana, and they “remain on the late spring/early summer timeline.”“We will provide an update when we have a decision to share,” the team said in its statement.
The twists and turns during the final days of Illinois’ spring legislative session were consistent with what has been a laborious stadium process for the Bears, a charter NFL franchise.The team announced in September 2021 that they had signed a purchase agreement for 326 acres of land in Arlington Heights, about 30 miles northwest of Chicago. The $197 million deal with Churchill Downs Incorporated was finalized in 2023.
