Northwest Indiana mayors and state officials have been beaming with pride since the Chicago Bears announced Wednesday that the team’s search for a new stadium location includes the region.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren confirmed the possibility of crossing state lines, but said the organization also would consider sites in other parts of Illinois.
“We’re looking at opportunities that may exist in the Chicagoland area including Northwest Indiana,” Warren said. “We still believe that Arlington Park is the most viable location in Cook County, but now we’re putting everything back on the table and exploring all options.”
The news broke Wednesday amid growing concerns that Illinois lawmakers will not approve the financial incentives needed to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights, a top team official told the Tribune.
“Northwest Indiana is in our home marketing area,” Warren said. “From a TV, media, radio rights standpoint and our fan base, it’s an extension of Chicago. It seems like it would provide a viable opportunity.”
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said in a statement that city officials and the Gary Common Council are drafting a “comprehensive proposal,” and that city leaders look forward to working with state officials “to bring the Bears to Gary.”
With its location near Interstates 80, 94 and 65, the South Shore Line, the Gary International Airport and “large-scale contiguous land,” Gary would be a prime location for a Bears stadium, Melton said.
The city has recently been approved for a Lake County Convention Center next to the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, so the city is prepared for an increase in tourism and hospitality, Melton said.
“By formally expanding their search to include Northwest Indiana, the Bears organization has acknowledged what we in Greater Gary have long understood: our region is no longer divided by an invisible state line — we are an integral part of the Chicago metropolitan fabric,” Melton said.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott and vice chair of the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission said Thursday he’s “doing whatever (he) can to make sure if the Bears choose Northwest Indiana as their next locale, that Hammond will be their choice location.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement the news of the Bears expanding their stadium search “is a startling slap in the face of all the beloved and loyal fans who have been rallying around the team during this strong season.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said he would work with team officials to build a northwest Indiana stadium.
“This move would deliver a major economic boost, create jobs, and bring another premier NFL franchise to the Hoosier State. Let’s get it done,” Braun said in a statement.
Earlier this year, the state legislature created the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission to attract a major sports organization such as the Bears.
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, said when he heard the news Wednesday, it meant “so much to northwest Indiana to be considered.” As the excitement settles, it’s time for state and local officials to get to work on securing a stadium, Harris said.
In the short term, Harris said it’s important for him and state officials to have conversations with team officials about what they need and how northwest Indiana provides solutions to those needs. Ultimately, Harris said the goal would be for a lasting partnership between Indiana and Bears officials.
Harris, who authored the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission legislation, said he would like the commission to be a part of those discussions. Harris said he contacted the commission Wednesday, and its members expressed excitement about the prospect of a Bears stadium.
So much so, Harris said, that a discussion about the Bears stadium has been added to the commission’s Jan. 6 meeting agenda. Harris said he will work hard to connect with Bears officials before then to make a presentation to the commission at the meeting.
A Bears stadium would bring tourism and economic development to northwest Indiana, Harris said. Building the stadium translates into construction jobs, and once the stadium is built, then jobs — from residents working for the team franchise to local businesses that open nearby — will be created and tourism will increase, Harris said.
As a State Representative for East Chicago, Gary and Hammond, Harris said with a laugh that his “bias and preference” is that the stadium would be built in his district. Ultimately, it will come down to the best location, likely closest to the Illinois-Indiana border, he said.
“That’s probably going to be one of the things I would presume the Bears would want,” Harris said. “It really will be finding out a little bit more about what their needs are and figuring out the best location.”
Harris said he’s seen people have fun on social media about changing the team’s name, with ideas like the East Chicago Bears or the Hammond Bears. While the ideas are creative, Harris said the team will remain the Chicago Bears.
“They’re the Chicago Bears, you don’t mess with that name,” Harris said. “It would just be a bad play to think about changing the name. Chicago Bears is a classic team.”
As a state legislator, Harris said his late father proposed bills aimed to incentivize a professional sports team to come to northwest Indiana. Harris, who filed the bill to establish the commission in his father’s honor, said his father would be amazed at how far Harris has been able to run with this proposal.
“I’m excited and proud as his son to continue one of his legacy projects. I wish he was here to see where it’s going, but I’m very happy and proud about where we are and looking forward to continuing this,” Harris said.
Portage Mayor Austin Bonta said he was thrilled when he heard about the team’s announcement.
“The idea is super exciting,” Bonta said. “You consider if it’s real, but because it’s from the CEO in a letter to fans … it’s exciting.”
Portage would be a strong location for a stadium because of its proximity to multiple highways and a train line, and it’s off of Lake Michigan, Bonta said.
The Hillcrest Site, for example, is on the north side of I-94 and south of the train station, Bonta said. The city owns the land, he said, and city officials would like to see the property developed.
“All said and done, Portage is definitely a prime spot,” Bonta said. “I would just be happy if they picked anywhere in Northwest Indiana.”
If the Bears build a stadium in Northwest Indiana, then the whole region would see an economic boost because as more people come to the region then so do hotels, restaurants and shops, Bonta said.
It’s also not unheard of, Bonta said, for a team from one state to play in a nearby state, like the New York Giants and New York Jets playing in a stadium in New Jersey.
“If the Bears come to Northwest Indiana, it would be a win for the Bears,” Bonta said. “We’d be honored for them to consider us.”
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said Thursday that state officials welcome discussions about building a Bears stadium in Northwest Indiana.
“I think it speaks so well of where Indiana is. One of the premier teams in not just professional sports but off one of the premier brands in our nation, is saying, ‘look, we want to explore an opportunity to partner with you,’ and we’ll have those conversations.”
A Bears stadium would bring with it “transformative investment” into the region, Huston said.
“There is no better state in the country at hosting people and major events than the state of Indiana,” Huston said. “This is potentially another opportunity for us to do even more of it in a portion of our state we’d love to see a big investment in.”
Impact on Indiana taxpayers
While building a Bears stadium in Northwest Indiana is exciting, there are economic factors to consider, said Anthony Sindone, Indiana University Northwest Director of the Center for Economic Education and Research.
“The literature is a bit mixed on the net positive or net negative of sports stadiums,” Sindone said.
Stadiums are major investments financed through public-private partnerships, Sindone said, which means state officials and private developers work together to build and finance the stadium. As a result, taxes typically increase for residents and consumers around the stadium, Sindone said.
Typically, the developers fund between 60% to 65% of the stadium and states, through tax revenue, fund the remaining 40% to 35%, Sindone said.
Building a stadium has multiple pros and cons, Sindone said, like creating construction jobs and traffic around the stadium. In the long run, economic studies have found that the funds used to build, develop, operate and maintain the stadium aren’t refunded to the taxpayers, he said.
An important thing for Indiana state officials to consider, Sindone said, would be to find a way to build a multi-use stadium to ensure it can be utilized beyond just Bears games.
“I think you need to have some kind of multi-use out of the stadium in order to even come close to being economically feasible and viable for using taxpayer money to fund these things,” Sindone said.
Lucas Oil Stadium, which opened in 2008 as the new home of the Indianapolis Colts, was predominantly funded by food and beverage taxes, auto rental taxes, innkeeper’s taxes, and admission taxes in Marion County, with additional food and beverage tax revenue from most of the doughnut counties surrounding Marion County. The Colts contributed $100 million toward the $720 million stadium, which is operated by the Capital Improvement Board.
