Two Illinois cities are throwing their hats in the ring to become the future home of the Chicago Bears.
The Bears announced they’d be moving forward with a stadium in neighboring Indiana after Illinois lawmakers failed to pass legislation incentivizing the team to stay within the state.
But will these two new contenders catch the team’s eye?
Two Chicago districts pitch new Bears stadium
Lawmakers in McCook and a district in the Southeast Side of Chicago told WGN-TV they believed development properties in their districts would serve as good sites for a new stadium.
Formerly known as the U.S. Steel South Works Site, the first patch of property sits near South 85th Street and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
The other is a 150-acre site near 55th Street and East Avenue in the exceptionally small municipality of McCook.
“There’s enough land there,” said State Rep. Curtis Tarver II, who represents the district where the U.S. Steel Site is located. “There’s more land there than there is in Arlington Heights. The reality is, if Hammond suffices and it’s just across the border, why would we not look in the area where the city of Chicago’s residents can actually benefit?”
Meanwhile, McCook Mayor Terry Carrr told WGN-TV the property’s location in relation to major local roadways makes it a prime spot for a major commercial development like an NFL stadium.
What are districts offering Bears?
Carr traveled to Halas Hall in the northern suburbs last Thursday to deliver his proposal alongside several local figures, according to WGN-TV.
Under the proposal, McCook would provide the land to the Bears for free, the team would build a $2 billion stadium on its own dime, then lease it back to the village for just $1 a year. The village would then cover property taxes on the land only.
Another option would allow the Bears to maintain ownership of the stadium, with property taxes on the development capped between $7-8 million per year, according to the outlet.
Meanwhile, Tarver wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times that the Bears “do not get a blank check.”
“Any proposal must require significant private money, taxpayer protection, union jobs, strong minority and local hiring, workforce training, environmental safeguards, public lakefront access, neighborhood infrastructure and measurable economic returns for nearby residents,” he said.
Is Illinois still fighting to keep Bears out of Indiana?
A last-minute attempt by Illinois Senators to keep the Chicago Bears in their namesake city failed to pass during the 11th hour of a legislative session early June 1.
The deal would have allowed municipalities with populations of at least 70,000 people to build a new stadium without paying property taxes on the facility.
But the bill failed to gain enough traction by the House, who didn’t take up the measure for a vote, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The legislative session ended without a resolution in sight.
Following the fumble, the team announced on social media that its board of directors voted to advance the stadium plan in Hammond, Indiana.
Politico reported Monday that the Bears and Illinois lawmakers were continuing discussion behind the scenes, however, with news about a potential special legislative session coming as soon as Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: These two Chicago neighborhoods want to build new Bears stadium
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star | USA TODAY Network
