With the team in the midst of its most successful season on the field in years, Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren on Wednesday reopened Pandora’s box on the franchise’s search for a new stadium location.
Warren said previously the Bears would put all of their efforts toward relocating to northwest suburban Arlington Heights, where the team owns the 326-acre Arlington Park property. But on Wednesday, Warren said other opportunities are now on the table again — including moving the project to a different state.
“In addition to Arlington Park, we need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana,” Warren wrote in an open letter to fans and the greater public posted Wednesday to chicagobears.com.
Warren didn’t provide specifics on where exactly the Bears might be looking in Northwest Indiana for a new stadium location. But he expressed clear frustration with Illinois state legislators over their cooperation with a new stadium project, claiming lawmakers in Springfield have not made the project a priority.
“We listened to state leadership and relied on their direction and guidance, yet our efforts have been met with no legislative partnership,” Warren wrote.
The letter comes after a continued stalemate with state political leaders involving a megaproject bill that would give the Bears a tax break when it comes to dealing with local municipalities in Arlington Heights during the construction of a new stadium.
“Stable timelines are critical, as are predictable processes and elected leaders, who share a sense of urgency and appreciation for public partnership that projects with this level of impact require,” Warren wrote in the letter. “We have not received that sense of urgency or appreciation to date.
“We have been told directly by State leadership, our project will not be a priority in 2026, despite the benefits it will bring to Illinois.”
Just three months ago, Warren penned a previous open letter to fans where he said, “Arlington Heights is the only site” for a new Bears stadium, and that the team was planning to host a Super Bowl there by 2031.
“Arlington Heights is the only site within Cook County that meets that standard,” Warren said at the time. “It allows us to better serve our fan base and deliver a truly transformative and elevated gameday experience.”
In response asking for comment on Warren’s open letter, the Village of Arlington Heights issued the following statement:
“The Village was made aware earlier (Wednesday) that the Chicago Bears are exploring the option of building their new stadium in Northwest Indiana.
“Both the Village and the Chicago Bears remain confident that their Arlington Park property in Arlington Heights is the best option for their new stadium and entertainment district. However, we understand their need to explore any and all viable locations as part of their due diligence process. Due to restrictive legislation in Illinois, this exploration now includes moving to Indiana.
“The Village has been outspoken that a Megaproject bill is necessary to make a development project of this scale possible. A bill of this type would serve as a key economic development tool to attract large-scale investment not only in Arlington Heights, but in communities throughout the state.
“We encourage our Illinois State legislators to move forward with the Megaproject bill,” Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia said. “This legislation will help to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois, within the limits of Cook County, and ultimately in Arlington Heights.”
In November 2024, Bears and Arlington Heights officials said they’d reached a “memorandum of understanding” for how property taxes and other development and financing details would look if the Bears decided to move forward with building a stadium and entertainment district at Arlington Park.
All along, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has said he’s done all he can to keep the Bears in Chicago. In April 2024, the Bears unveiled plans for a state-of-the-art domed stadium on the lakefront, just south of Soldier Field.
The Bears said they would provide more than $2 billion in funding for that project. But it still required significant assistance from taxpayers, which state and local lawmakers have been steadfast against from the get-go.
In May, the Bears informed Johnson they intended to build in Arlington Heights. Three days later, the village began laying the groundwork for what it will take to staff an NFL game.
WGN-TV also sought comment from the governor’s office on Warren’s open letter. Matt Hill, the governor’s spokesperson, stated:
“Suggesting the Bears would move to Indiana is a startling slap in the face to all the beloved and loyal fans who have been rallying around the team during this strong season. The Governor’s a Bears fan who has always wanted them to stay in Chicago. He has also said that ultimately they are a private business.”
