CHICAGO — Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said Wednesday that the Chicago Bears told him an announcement is coming Thursday, though he stressed that he does not know whether it will involve the team's stadium plans.
"I know about as much about it as you all, but I was told from the Bears that there would be an announcement tomorrow," McDermott told NBC Chicago.
McDermott said he is hopeful the announcement will be about the stadium, but repeatedly cautioned that he did not want to presume that is the case.
"I hope it's about the stadium," he said. "I don't want to presume."
The comments come as the Bears continue evaluating Hammond while still owning the former Arlington Park property in Arlington Heights.
McDermott said extensive testing is underway at a proposed Hammond site and that one local business within what he described as the "new footprint" contacted him Wednesday to say crews were boring holes there.
"That's the issue of the day between us and the Bears," McDermott said.
RELATED: Arlington Heights Mayor Says Bears Stadium Talks Won't Happen 'Behind Closed Doors'
The Bears previously confirmed that soil testing was taking place in Hammond as part of the team's site-evaluation process. Patch reported last month that Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia said village officials had little new information because the Bears were focused on Indiana.
Tinaglia said at the time that some residents may view the Hammond push as a negotiating tactic or "smoke screen," but that village officials were treating the team's Indiana interest as genuine.
The Bears still own the former Arlington Park property, which has long been considered a potential site for a new stadium and mixed-use entertainment district.
In July, Tinaglia said any renewed stadium discussions with the village would happen publicly and not "behind closed doors." He said Arlington Heights residents would have opportunities to weigh in if the Bears shifted their attention back to the village.
"This is not a slam dunk," Tinaglia said at the time. "This is not something that will happen behind closed doors. It's something that will happen openly, carefully, thoughtfully, and in a smart way for all to share."
No final stadium decision has been announced for either Arlington Heights or Hammond.
The Bears are now in their third week of training camp after opening camp July 28 and holding their first practice July 29 at Halas Hall.
The team is also just days away from its first preseason game, hosting the Cleveland Browns at noon Saturday, Aug. 15, at Soldier Field. Chicago then visits Cincinnati on Aug. 22 and Tennessee on Aug. 29 before opening the regular season Sept. 13 on the road against the Carolina Panthers.
RELATED: Pritzker Rips Bears' Stadium 'Fumbles,' Says Special Session Possible
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