The Chicago Bears are making a big shift to their new stadium plans and are now expanding their search to include northwest Indiana, opening the possibility they could move out of Illinois.
The Bears team president Kevin Warren sent a letter to season ticket holders stating the stadium search will expand to all of Chicago and northwest Indiana, citing a frustration with the lack of legislative help to build a stadium in Arlington Heights.
“Consequently, in addition to Arlington Park, we need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana,” Warren mentioned in the letter. “This is not about leverage. 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 fanbase 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.
“Every home game, we are reminded of one thing. Bears fans are the best fans in all of sports. We appreciate you.
The letter was signed by Kevin Warren.
The decision comes after the team’s unsettling battle with Illinois lawmakers to gain tax breaks and $855 million in public funding to build the new stadium in Arlington Heights, a suburb northwest of Chicago.
The Bears have been in Chicago for more than 100 years, having moved to the city in 1921 from Decatur, Ill., where they were founded as the Staleys in 1920. The team officially became the Bears in 1922.
