LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) – The Bears are casting a wider net in their stadium site once again.
After having Arlington Heights as their sole focus for a stadium site, the Bears will once again consider other options across the Chicagoland area, including northwest Indiana, president Kevin Warren wrote in an open letter that was released Wednesday evening. The shift comes as the Bears have struggled to secure the taxpayer funding that they seek for the property they currently own in Arlington Heights.
“This is not about leverage,” Warren wrote. “We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County. We invested significant time and resources evaluating multiple sites and rationally decided on Arlington Heights. Our fans deserve a world-class stadium. Our players and coaches deserve a venue that matches the championship standard they strive for every day. With that in mind, our organization must keep every credible pathway open to deliver that future.
“The Bears have called Chicago home for more than a century. One certainty is that our commitment to this city will not change. We will continue to provide unwavering support to the community. We need to secure a world-class venue for our passionate fan base and honor the energy you bring every week. The Chicago Bears are a founding franchise, playing in the oldest and smallest stadium in the NFL.
“As we move forward, our goal is clear: build a world-class football team that has a world-class stadium worthy of our world-class fans – a stadium that reflects the future we are building together.”
The Bears are seeking public funding for the infrastructure surrounding the stadium site at Arlington Park. Conversations with state leaders have failed to produce a pledge in funding. Warren previously pointed to needing the funding secured by October in order to break ground in Arlington Heights by the end of this year. State leaders never even held a vote.
State officials have told the Bears that their stadium project and request for funding won't be a priority in 2026, Warren wrote in his letter Wednesday.
“Suggesting the Bears would move to Indiana is a startling slap in the face to all the beloved and loyal fans who have been rallying around the team during this strong season," said Matt Hill, a spokesperson for Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, in a statement. "The Governor’s a Bears fan who has always wanted them to stay in Chicago. He has also said that ultimately they are a private business.”
The Bears have pledged to spend more than $2 billion of their own money to build a new stadium.
For most of 2024, the Bears' focus on building a new stadium, at least in public comments, was in downtown Chicago along the lakefront. This past April, Warren acknowledged that they were looking at both downtown and Arlington Heights. By May, the Bears had turned their attention fully to Arlington Heights.
The Bears signed a $197.2-million purchase agreement the 326-acre property at Arlington Park in September 2021 and closed on that purchase in February 2023. Warren stepped into his role in early 2024, with a chief priority being the stadium exploration.
Warren is expected to address reporters Thursday as the Bears have adjusted their stadium focus once again.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.