Illinois Lawmakers Scramble to Keep Chicago Bears from Leaving

State lawmakers in Illinois spent the last scheduled day of their spring session attempting to salvage a tax relief plan meant to keep the Chicago Bears in Arlington Heights. The proposal was facing collapse, prompting legislators to act quickly. The Bears have a long history in Illinois, but a new stadium in Indiana threatens to lure the team away.

Indiana has offered the Bears a taxpayer-funded stadium in Hammond, just 20 miles southeast of Chicago. This proposal includes a mixed-use entertainment district, posing a serious threat to Illinois’ efforts to retain the team. The dysfunction of other legislative activities carried over into the Bears discussion, with the Illinois House and Senate often working separately, complicating the process.

State Rep. Kam Buckner led an effort in the House to ensure property tax certainty for the Arlington Heights site, which the Bears purchased for $197.2 million in 2023. His proposal involved freezing the team’s property tax assessments for 25 to 45 years in exchange for payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT). The Senate, however, has yet to approve the measure due to insufficient votes.

State Sen. Bill Cunningham acknowledged the challenge, noting some senators’ opposition to granting tax breaks to a billion-dollar franchise. Many Chicago Democrats preferred to keep the stadium within the city limits, viewing a suburban move unfavorably.

Cunningham stated, “Chicago legislators are generally reluctant to support measures that encourage businesses to exit the city.”

The current stadium options include the Arlington Heights location and a site in Hammond. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has also revived a previous $4.7 billion proposal for a lakefront stadium south of Soldier Field, although it was previously rejected for its cost to taxpayers. Despite public statements, Cunningham noted that the Bears continue discussions with Chicago regarding a city stadium.

Lawmakers have considered a new plan allowing municipalities to form stadium finance authorities. This model envisions a public-private partnership where the Bears would construct a stadium on public land, thereby avoiding property taxes. Most NFL stadiums are publicly owned, and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA) could oversee this arrangement.

The public ownership model resembles the setup for Soldier Field, owned by the Chicago Park District, which exempts it from property taxes. An agreement between a municipality and the Bears would dictate revenue distribution from the stadium.

By Sunday evening, no concrete legislation had emerged, leaving many questions unanswered. There is uncertainty about whether the Bears would accept this alternative proposal, and specifics about how a local stadium authority would function remain unclear. Discussions are ongoing, and the deadline for a decisive plan looms.

As of the session’s end, the Bears’ request for $855 million in infrastructure funding for Arlington Heights remained unresolved. Rep. Buckner expressed uncertainty about the Senate’s alternative plan but anticipated further developments.

“The language is what is going to drive the day,” Buckner remarked, emphasizing the importance of detail in forthcoming negotiations.