A new round of talks between representatives of the Chicago Bears, the NFL and Illinois state government suggests an incentive plan is taking shape to keep the team from bolting to northwest Indiana, as a potential new player emerges in the discussion about sites for a new stadium.
"It's just part of a continuing endeavor," Gov. J.B. Pritzker told reporters Friday afternoon about meetings this week with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Bears executives dealt with putting the finishing touches on an incentive plan for lawmakers to consider during the fall session that starts November 17.
"We want to make sure that the legislation is ready for people to look at and maybe have some hearings during the first week, and then maybe get voted on during the second week," said the governor.
State lawmakers have worked for months with the Bears to hash out an incentive package designed to encourage the team to build a stadium in Illinois, and reject an overture from Indiana to move into a publicly-funded venue near Hammond. The team has not offered a substantive update on its venue search since the summer, when Bears executives said they were focusing on a Hammond venue, and that the only acceptable Illinois location would be on the old Arlington Park property the team purchased three years ago. The team's lease at Soldier Field expires in 2033.
In the meantime, developer Related Midwest, the group behind "The 78" project in the South Loop project, this week released renderings of a potential Bears stadium on 200 acres it owns at the old U.S. Steel property on the Southeast side, adjacent to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters during a campaign stop in the city's Rogers Park neighborhood that he's seen the renderings, but he offered no specific opinions about the proposal.
"The Bears belong in Chicago," the mayor said, "and I'm willing to work with anyone who will support that effort."
We've asked the Bears for a comment about the Related Midwest proposal.
Gov. Pritzker meets with NFL, team execs to finalize incentives for veto session
Gov. Pritzker meets with NFL, team execs to finalize incentives for veto session
