Illinois lawmakers push stadium deal as Indiana courts the Bears

CHICAGO - Bears fans are gearing up for this weekend’s NFC divisional playoff matchup with the Rams, but the battle off the field is intensifying.

Indiana lawmakers have entered the race to build a new stadium for the Bears across state lines. They unveiled their proposal Thursday night, and by Friday, officials in Arlington Heights were feeling the pressure.

Arlington Heights Mayor James Tinaglia, joined by a coalition of political and labor leaders, urged Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers to finalize a deal or risk losing the Bears to Indiana.

What we know:

Tinaglia said the village supports allowing the Bears to negotiate property tax rates with Arlington Heights, a move that would require state approval.

Without such an agreement, he said, the Bears could face annual property tax bills totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and state Senate leaders on Thursday night unveiled their plan to lure the Bears out of Illinois. The team called the proposal a "significant development."

The plan would create a new northwest Indiana stadium commission. That public body would own and finance the stadium and assume the construction risk, while the Bears would retain most of the revenue.

Under the proposal, the Bears would pay rent and take full ownership of the stadium once the debt is paid off. At that point, the team would owe no property taxes.

That contrasts with the Bears’ proposal in Arlington Heights, where the team would cover construction costs, own the stadium and pay property taxes.

Pritzker and Chicago-area lawmakers have rejected the Bears’ Arlington Heights plan, calling it an excessive tax break for a billion-dollar franchise. Still, the governor said Illinois remains the better option.

"I believe it's best for the Bears to stay in the state of Illinois. I've always said that I don't think the fans want the Bears to be anywhere else but the state of Illinois," said Pritzker. 

Tinaglia warned Illinois could lose thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity if lawmakers fail to act. He said the team’s proposal does not include taxpayer funding for stadium construction.

"The Bears are not, not asking for taxpayer money to build their stadium in Arlington Heights. It's a big important piece in this puzzle," said Tinaglia.