How Kevin Warren is playing Illinois and Indiana against each other to build the Bears' multi-billion dollar future.
Kevin Warren told reporters at Halas Hall on Aug. 13 that Hammond, Indiana, was the Chicago Bears’ “sole focus” for a new stadium and mixed-use development. Seven days later, Bears stadium chief Karen Murphy and minority owner Pat Ryan joined a video call with Illinois Deputy Gov. Andy Manar. Emails obtained by Capitol News Illinois do not reveal what they discussed in that meeting. However, they do show why the search has become more than a location decision. Warren now has two states offering different ways to split the cost of a new home and the income it could produce
Warren has rejected the idea that Indiana exists simply to pressure Illinois. In a Dec. 17 open letter to fans, he wrote, “This is not about leverage. We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County.” Indiana has since put a financing system into law, while Illinois continues to work through property taxes, infrastructure and the terms needed to make the Bears’ Arlington Heights site viable.
Indiana Changes What the Bears Would Pay
Indiana turned itself from an alternative into a financing option in February, when Gov. Mike Braun signed Senate Bill 27. The law created a Northwest Indiana stadium authority that can borrow for a stadium and repay debt with taxes tied to the project. State analysts estimated a 12% admissions tax could raise about $12 million a year. A higher Lake County hotel tax could add at least $5.4 million annually, while food and beverage taxes in Lake and Porter counties could generate $12 million to $18 million if both counties adopt them.
Indiana’s appeal extends beyond construction financing. The proposed stadium district would own the building, removing a stadium property tax bill from the Bears’ operating costs. Capitol News Illinois reported that the team would keep revenue generated by the building and could buy it for $1 after the authority pays off the bonds. Public ownership could therefore affect both what the Bears pay each year and how much stadium income they keep.
Indiana also has $300 million sitting in an infrastructure trust account, the first installment of a $700 million agreement with the Indiana Toll Road operator. The money can support projects in seven northern counties, with Lake County positioned to benefit if the Bears choose Hammond. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., one of the project’s strongest advocates, put the pitch plainly in June: “They’re going to save millions of dollars every year operating over here in Indiana.”
Illinois Still Has Land but Needs a Tax Deal
Illinois offers Warren something Indiana cannot reproduce quickly. The Bears paid $197.2 million for 326 acres at the former Arlington International Racecourse in February 2023. Owning the site gives the franchise control over enough suburban land for a stadium and a commercial district around it, while leaving nearly $200 million tied to an Illinois option.
The Bears have said they would put about $2 billion into an Arlington Heights stadium while seeking $855 million in public spending for roads, utilities, and other infrastructure. Those are separate bills because a privately financed stadium can still depend on public work that makes a 326-acre development accessible and usable.
Property taxes could shape the long term cost even more. The Cook County Treasurer’s Office modeled a complete stadium at a conservative $675 million value and estimated a $53.2 million annual tax bill under the normal system. Under one hypothetical megaprojects arrangement, including a $10 million negotiated payment, the office estimated savings above $39 million a year, or more than $1.5 billion over 40 years. The scenario is not a deal the Bears have secured, but it shows how recurring tax costs can rival a major upfront subsidy over decades.
Illinois came close to another approach on June 1. The Senate passed a stadium authority proposal 37-17, but the House adjourned without taking it up. Sponsor Sen. Bill Cunningham said the public ownership structure used “the exact same mechanic set up in Northwest Indiana.” Lawmakers are scheduled to return for veto session beginning Nov. 17, giving Illinois another chance to settle the structure.
The Bigger Business Sits Around the Stadium
The Bears’ Arlington plans explain why Warren keeps pairing a stadium with mixed-use development. The proposed district includes 1,150 homes, 400 hotel rooms, 300,000 square feet of retail and 200,000 square feet of offices. Those businesses can produce income throughout the year and lift the value of the land under the Bears' control.
The model is familiar to Warren. As Minnesota Vikings chief operating officer, he worked on the business, legal, and financial side of U.S. Bank Stadium and helped plan the team’s Eagan headquarters and Viking Lakes development. A recent NFL example also shows what state competition can produce. Kansas approved a $3 billion Chiefs stadium in December 2025 with 60% public financing and mixed-use projects around the stadium and team headquarters. Bears chairman George McCaskey said in August, “We see many parallels there.”
Hammond could offer a mixed-use district of its own. Warren has said the Bears cleared the Lost Marsh site as viable and are studying the nearby Wolf Lake Terminal property, with the possibility of combining them. Public information remains less clear on how much surrounding land the Bears would own or control in Indiana and how development revenue could be divided. Arlington gives the team 326 acres it owns. Indiana gives Warren a more defined stadium financing structure.
Both States Are Still in the Conversation
Warren acknowledged in August that the Bears still hold occasional talks with Illinois, and public records later showed more than one contact involving Murphy and Manar. Gov. JB Pritzker’s office has said these conversations continue. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell added another signal after meeting Illinois lawmakers in late August, saying the league wanted Illinois and Indiana to have an opportunity to “put their best foot forward.”
No signed agreement has settled the comparison. Indiana has a financing law and $300 million in toll road money sitting in trust. The Bears still own their Arlington land, and Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield in November. Warren spent the summer calling Hammond the focus, but the financial terms on both sides are yet to be decided.
