Skip to main content
Bear Digest

Illinois Can Only Watch as Bears Advance Testing at New Hammond Site

The Bears are considering a second Hammond stadium site even closer to the state line, and as they test the soil there is little certainty coming from Illinois.
Gene Chamberlain|
Hammond's second site is being explored for a stadium by the Bears with soil testing at Wolf Lake Terminals.
Hammond's second site is being explored for a stadium by the Bears with soil testing at Wolf Lake Terminals. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

While the Bears stadium controversy with Illinois continues, there is more certainty being sought and established across the border.

Over the weekend, the Bears had drilling equipment in place for exploring the alternative site in northwest Indiana to build a stadium. NBC Chicago and the Times of Northwest Indiana confirmed this through the team, which seems only too willing to let Illinois legislators know they haven't backed off their announced plan of focusing on Indiana.

"This activity is part of the normal site evaluation process as we continue to advance our stadium development project in Hammond," Bears senior vice president of public and governmental affairs Scott Hagel said in a statement. "We have an excellent option already in place and continue to assess additional parcels of land in the Wolf Lake region to ensure we place the stadium and mixed-use district in the very best location to search all of Chicagoland." 

This new site is in the vicinity of the area of the original Hammond site, at Wolf Lake. When they made their statement about focusing on Indiana, it was clear there was more than one site the Bears would consider. This one is called Wolf Lake Terminals and is near the Wolf Lake Industrial Center, located just west of Interstate 90 and very close to the Illinois border. The original site near Lost Marsh Golf Course is east of the this new site.

This site could be more accessible because of the proximity of the interstate. It's also a stone's throw to the border, if that matters. There could be even more sites in the area they choose to test.

Indiana has had some pushback in Porter County on its plan for funding the stadium with restaurant and hotel tax hikes. The stadium would be publicly owned initially and rented to the Bears after the team puts $2 billion in to construct it. However, the pushback is virtually nothing compared to what has happened in Illinois since the proposed legislation for payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) bill failed at the end of May.

Illinois' failure has led to several ideas popping up for a stadium in the state, besides the Bears building on their own Arlington International Racecourse property in the northwest suburbs. Legislation has been proposed for that site by Barrington Hills Republican Martin McLaughlin to let the Bears build and then lease it by paying for $2.5 billion, with $1.2 billion in state-paid infrastructure.

If that plan, or one like it, fails to take hold, McCook, IL has proposed letting the Bears build the stadium for the village at a quarry area off the Stevenson Expressway and not far from the Metra BNSF line. They would then lease the facility to the Bears for $1 with no taxes involved for the team. Finally, there is the vague suggestion by South Side state rep Curtis Tarver to build a facility near 85th Street and Lake Shore Drive, near Lake Michigan at Crown Park.

Indiana site no surprise

Considering how no real activity is occurring with the Illinois legislature adjourned until mid-November, Indiana's head start will soon look like an insurmountable lead. Testing at the new site could easily result in the beginning of construction while nothing is being done by Illinois politicians.

The pushback to the Indiana plan doesn't appear serious, as it was focused in Porter County. This isn't the county where the Bears would be building. Indiana has already passed legislation aimed at building the facility.

Illinois needs a summer legislation session to pass its own plan for letting the Bears build their stadium. So far, all it has is a bunch of ideas and Gov. J.B. Pritzker saying the team needs to provide their own legislation before they could convene for a special summer vote.

The Bears appear to be delivering their retort to Pritzker with this testing at a site very close to the Illinois border.

Brendon Moore of Capitol News Illinois has labeled mid-August the most logical time for an Illinois special session because politicians from both parties are at Springfield for the state fair.

So far, there is no real indication this would occur. This can only delight the Hammond area, although the Bears do need to first get back positive results from their testing.

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
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.

Home/News