While the Chicago Bears have been stationed at Soldier Field since 1971, on February 19, the Bears announced they may potentially move to Hammond, IN. Chicagoans are left slightly concerned, while NW Indiana Hoosiers would have to grapple with increased taxes. 

Illinois legislators are pushing for better deals for the Bears to stay in Illinois, while Indiana Governor Mike Bruan has already signed a bill to build a stadium in Hammond, which will eventually require an increase in taxes. 

Bill SB 27 “amends provisions in the Lake County and Porter County food and beverage tax chapter, amends provisions in the Lake County innkeeper’s tax chapter, authorizes the city of Hammond to impose an admissions tax, [and] requires amounts collected from the city admissions tax to be distributed to the stadium board or its designee.” 

In early September, 2022, the Chicago Bears announced that they may potentially move to Arlington Heights with a $5 Billion dollar contract, which was not solidified but kept for consideration.  

“I am disappointed by the Bears statement Thursday,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said to NBC’s Chicago affiliate. He also added later during an interview that Illinois was going to tweak the bill to persuade the Bears to stay in Chicago. 

“Downtown Chicago or the South Side of Chicago, they should be applauding this move because we’re going to be much closer to you, the fan, than if the Bears were to stay in Illinois,” Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. said in an AP story published on NFL.com.

Despite fan interests, the Chicago Bears are only considering moving and building a new stadium in the NWI area among other sites.