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Bears Could Be Headed to Indiana and Hammond Mayor Says Site Is 'Pristine'

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. says the proposed Bears stadium site is 'pristine,' pushing back on doubts as Indiana gains on Illinois.
Gene Chamberlain|
Thomas McDermott Jr., Hammond's mayor, is certain the Bears stadium site in his community is safe.
Thomas McDermott Jr., Hammond's mayor, is certain the Bears stadium site in his community is safe. | Michael Caterina / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Chicago Bears

The Bears will be building on a former slag heap if their choice is Hammond, Ind., for a stadium.

It's a safe slag heap, says Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.

This is what McDermott Jr. said while appearing on WSCR-AM 670's Mully & Haugh on Wednesday. McDermott labeled the Tribune article on the Hammond stadium site a "hit piece" and described the spot in a positive light, as the city's mayor could be expected to do. He maintains it is entirely safe after it was reclaimed. The possibilty the Bears choose this site appears strong now after defeat of legislation aimed at keeping them in Illinois.

"The Lost Marsh Golf Course, the Wolf Lake area is pristine," McDermott told David Haugh and Mike Mulligan. "The Lost Marsh, when the City of Hammond reclaimed that slag heap and built a golf course on top of it, we received an award from the United Nations. That was in 1993 for the environmental reclamation that we did there.

"It's clean as a whistle. We know that and the Bears probably know that as well because they probably know much more about that land than we do because they spent millions of dollars analyzing it."

The Tribune article had talked about an industrial waste site, and called it a "slag heap," but did not produce facts or figures regarding toxicity.

"I've been in politics for 22 years," McDermott told Mully & Haugh. "I know a hit piece when I read it. That was a hit piece."

It was McDermott's view that the article was intended to help keep the Bears in Illinois. At the time, the only other option being weighed by the Bears was their property at the old Arlington International Racecourse.

Chicago attempted to get back into the picture with a late effort from Mayor Brandon Johnson, who claimed he had talks several times with Bears "officials" in weeks prior to Monday's failed vote by the Illinois legislature intended to get another stadium plan in place. Johnson did not name any names or discuss the exact nature of these talks, but the Sun-Times reported he said he negotiated a "term sheet" with the city about a stadium.

Now it's up to the Bears to consider the offer they have from Indiana because they have no formal offer from Illinois, Chicago or Arlington Heights. They have the property in Arlington Heights and pay about $3.6 million in taxes on a vacant piece of land. The legislation they sought in Springfield was to let them set a tax certainty for the future with local taxing bodies while they build the stadium and surrounding entertainment district, but it failed in the legislature.

The subsequent plan considered would have allowed for establishment of stadium authorities like Indiana did already with its Hammond property, and then the Bears could give the Arlington Heights property to the community, rent the facility they build themselves, and then pay no taxes. But it also failed to receive approval.

The Bears have said they'll decide in late spring or early summer on their offers and with one real offer in front of them, McDermott told Mully & Haugh the entire thing should be decided soon. The Bears' board must meet on the topic for a final decision.

"We're going to find out hopefully by the end of this month," McDermott said.

If it continues on into the summer, the chances for renewed Illinois and/or Chicago involvement increase. The Illinois lawmakers could also hold a special session to deal with the issue, but topics of this nature in the past were not deemed sufficient to call the legislature back to Springfield.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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