Illinois lawmakers to vote on ‘mega projects’ bill eyed by Bears for new stadium

CHICAGO - Illinois lawmakers are expected vote on a bill that the Chicago Bears have said is necessary for them to build a new stadium in suburban Arlington Heights.

HB910, the so-called "mega projects" legislation, would essentially allow the Bears to get a break on their property taxes to build a stadium that is estimated to generate thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic impact.

The hearing over the bill was scheduled to start at 1:15 p.m. before the House Revenue Committee in Springfield. It will be live-streamed in the media player at the top of this story.

This latest development comes just weeks after Indiana lawmakers also passed legislation to fund a new stadium in Hammond.

Bears leadership have said they will make a decision on whether to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights or Hammond later this spring or early this summer.

What’s the mega projects bill and why do the Bears want it?

Dig deeper:

The bill would essentially allow developers of so-called "mega projects" to get a break on their property taxes with an assessment freeze and the ability to negotiate "payments in lieu of taxes" with local taxing bodies. Bears President Kevin Warren has argued that tax "predictability" is key to building a new stadium.

The Bears pursued the mega projects bill after lawmakers, including Gov. JB Pritzker, expressed little to no desire to use taxpayer money to build a new stadium. 

The team said it would invest more than $2 billion to build the new domed stadium after skeptics argued a franchise worth about $8 billion should not receive help from taxpayers. 

Still, Pritzker has said the state could help fund infrastructure improvements around a new stadium, as it has done for other large developments. The Bears have said they would need about $855 million in public funds for such infrastructure improvements.

The Bears say the construction of a stadium and a nearby mixed-use district would create 56,000 jobs and about $10 billion in "economic impact." After the stadium is built, it is projected to create more than 9,000 permanent jobs and $260 million in annual business and tourism.

Why are the Bears leaving Soldier Field?

The backstory:

The Bears have played their home games at Soldier Field since 1971. Soldier Field is owned by the Chicago Park District, so the Bears and the district agreed to a multi-year lease to host home games at the iconic stadium.

But the Bears have argued that Soldier Field "no longer offers the infrastructure, accessibility, or amenities required to deliver" a "world-class experience."

Even after Soldier Field underwent a renovation in 2002, the Bears said a domed stadium would allow for more major events like Super Bowls and college games to be held in Chicago year-round.

Park District officials have already pitched a $630 million plan to host more concerts and special events at Soldier Field once the Bears leave.

How did we get here?

Timeline:

The Bears first submitted a bid to purchase the 326-acre Arlington Park property back in 2021 in hopes of developing a new 60,000-seat domed stadium and mixed-use development.

That purchase was agreed to and finalized by early 2023.

Arlington Heights residents were excited at the prospect of being the new home of the Bears, but the team had to overcome several logistical hurdles first.

The Bears received approval to demolish the racetrack on the property.

Before breaking ground, the Bears also tried to resolve a dispute with local taxing bodies to determine how much the team would owe in property taxes. 

But in mid-2023, the team’s efforts to negotiate a property tax deal in Arlington Heights hit a snag, and the team announced it would expand its search. Other suburban communities like Naperville and Waukegan made their bids to house a new stadium.

In the summer of 2023, the team even started talks with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on the possibility of building a new lakefront stadium. A new stadium in Chicago soon became the team’s "focus."

Plans for a new $4.7 billion stadium were revealed in 2024, but it was met with a cold reception by state lawmakers and worries about restrictions on building in that area. The team said rebuilding the museum campus, the only viable lakefront area for a new stadium, was not "financially feasible" because it would require both private and taxpayer money, which lawmakers were not willing to commit.

Eventually, the team’s focus shifted again after hopes for a new Chicago stadium dimmed. In 2024, the Bears, Arlington Heights, and other area taxing bodies came to a deal on property taxes, seemingly paving the way for a move to the suburbs.

By 2025, Warren said the Bears were "ready now" to break ground on a new stadium in Arlington Heights, but just needed state lawmakers to pass the mega projects bill. Key lawmakers said that legislation was not a priority for them as they had to deal with many other big issues, like saving the Chicago region’s transit system from a fiscal cliff.

After that fall veto session came and went without passage of the mega projects bill, Warren said the team would again reopen its search for a new stadium home, including outside of Illinois.

Earlier this year, another scramble began, this time in Indiana, where state lawmakers quickly approved their bill to establish funding for the construction of a new stadium at a 340-acre site in Hammond. That rapid movement appeared to make an impression on Bears management, and the site became a viable alternative to Arlington Heights.

Illinois lawmakers then said they were making progress on passing the mega project bill this spring, but were trying to lock down important details.

Warren has said the team aims to decide between the two cities by late this spring or early summer.

"Both of the sites are excellent, excellent sites," he said.