Chicago Bears Stadium Timeline: How we got here, from the lakefront to Hammond, Indiana

The Chicago Bears' efforts to find a new stadium have been ongoing for the better part of the 2020 decade.

On Friday, they took another turn. The team announced it would advance with Hammond, Indiana, as the site for its new stadium. 

"Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected," Chicago Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and President and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement. "We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses."

This is a sharp turn from the beginning, when the Bears had previously announced their intentions to build a new stadium on the lakefront in Chicago before turning to Arlington Heights just before the regular season began in 2025.

Still, this is far from a solidified decision.

Here’s how we got here:

Chicago Bears Stadium Timeline

2021

The Bears officially put a purchase agreement on the 326-acre plot of land in Arlington Heights.

A move to the village was proposed as far back as 1975, but this was a massive step taken by the franchise to actually move to the Cook County suburb from their lakefront stadium in Soldier Field, which has been the team's home for home games since 1971.

2022

The Bears host an information meeting discussing the potential purchase and possible development of Arlington Park in September.

2023

January

On January 12, 2023, Warren was named the new team president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Bears. He succeeds Ted Phillips.

Warren is hired because of his acumen leading the charge in building a state-of-the-art stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.

May

Demolition of the Arlington Park Race Course begins.

February

The Bears purchase of the 326 acres of land is finalized on February 15, 2023, for $197.2 million. The original concept is for a $5 billion domed stadium to be built on the land. 

2024

March

Arlington Heights offers the Bears a tax reduction in an attempt to secure the team to build its new stadium in the village.

April

The day before the 2024 NFL Draft, where the Bears would select Caleb Williams No. 1 overall, the Bears and the city of Chicago hold a joint press conference announcing their plans to build a domed stadium and to invest more than $2 billion in private money in a publicly owned stadium and park space.

The plan is valued at $4.7 billion.

May

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker calls the plans for a domed stadium on the lakefront a "non-starter."

"The current proposal is a non-starter for the state," Pritzker’s press secretary said. "In order to subsidize a brand-new stadium for a privately owned sports team, the Governor would need to see a demonstrable and tangible benefit to the taxpayers of Illinois."

June

Kevin Warren says the Bears want to break ground on a new stadium by the end of 2025.

November

The Bears and Arlington Heights reach a tentative agreement over the property tax dispute that kept the Bears from negotiating further with Arlington Heights.

In a statement, the Bears say they remain focused to on building an enclosed stadium on the lakefront.

2025

March

The Bears submit traffic and financial studies for the Arlington Heights stadium site.

September

The Bears, hours before their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football, announce they’re moving forward with Arlington Heights as their "future home."

December

The Bears release a statement, one day before the Bears host the Green Bay Packers in a de-facto NFC North championship game, saying they’re also exploring Northwest Indiana as a potential stadium site.

2026

February 

Indiana passed Senate Bill 27. This creates a Northwest Indiana stadium authority which has the power to acquire and finance the construction of stadium facilities. This officially names Hammond as the site of any stadium.

Indiana offers the Bears about $1 billion in tax revenue, which could go toward stadium district infrastructure, to try and convince the Bears to move to Hammond.

March

At the NFL Owners Meetings in Arizona, Kevin Warren set a timeline of "late spring, early summer" for the Bears to make their final decision on where to build a new stadium.

May

After Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says the Bears had conversations with Chicago about "term sheets" for a new lakefront stadium.

On May 21, the Bears release a statement saying the team has "exhausted every opportunity" to have a stadium in Chicago.

"The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago which was our initial goal," the Bears say. "There is not a viable site in the city.  As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond."

June

The Bears say they're advancing their stadium development projects in Hammond, Indiana, moving forward with a plan to build a new stadium out of state. The exact site is to be determined. 

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