CHICAGO — Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren made the team's stadium position considerably clearer Thursday, saying its "sole focus" is developing a new stadium and surrounding mixed-use district in Hammond, Indiana.
Speaking with reporters Thursday at Halas Hall, Warren said the Bears have continued working in Indiana since the team's board voted June 5 to focus its attention on advancing a Hammond stadium project.
"We've been working diligently to complete all of the topographical studies, the geographical studies, environmental studies, in addition to assembling the land that's needed to build a world-class stadium project, and also mixed-use development," Warren said.
The Bears are also working on financing and the "capital stack" needed to bring the development to fruition, he said.
Warren's strongest declaration came when he addressed Illinois, where the Bears still own the former Arlington International Racecourse property.
"Even though we've had occasional meetings with the state of Illinois, our sole focus at this point in time is working on a world-class stadium and mixed-use development in Hammond, Indiana," Warren said.
Asked later whether he could rule out Illinois entirely, Warren stopped short of doing so but again emphasized that the Bears currently have no deal or legislation in place with the state.
"We don't have any legislation in Illinois. We don't have a deal with Illinois," Warren said. "Our focus, again, at this point in time, is in Hammond, Indiana, and we're doing everything that we possibly can."
Bears Chairman George McCaskey reinforced that message, saying Hammond is where the franchise is "advancing our efforts" and where "the bulk of our time, attention and resources are being devoted."
Warren also provided more detail Thursday about two properties under consideration in Hammond: the previously discussed Lost Marsh site and a newly identified Wolf Lake Terminal site.
Due diligence on Lost Marsh has been completed, Warren said, and the property remains viable.
"It's not a pivot for anything that's an issue with the Lost Marsh site," Warren said. "That is a viable site. We could build there; it works."
Instead, Warren said the Wolf Lake opportunity emerged while the Bears were studying Lost Marsh.
"As we studied that site, and we are working very hard to make sure that we build a holistic environment in Hammond, when we looked at the Lost Marsh site and then we're able to discover the opportunity at the Wolf Lake Terminal site, we thought if we could cohesively bring those together and just make sure that an entire area comes together from a mixed-use standpoint, it would even be better," Warren said.
Due diligence remains underway at Wolf Lake Terminal.
Warren suggested the two properties might ultimately become part of a larger development rather than competing stadium locations.
"We do have one viable site in Hammond, Indiana, and we expect here to have another viable site, and maybe to be able to merge those sites together," Warren said.
The work includes topographical, geographical and environmental studies as the Bears also try to assemble the land necessary for a stadium and surrounding mixed-use development.
One potential Bears stadium site at Wolf Lake Terminals is adjacent to a Defense Logistics Agency facility that stores strategic materials for the National Defense Stockpile.
McCaskey addressed one of the most emotional questions surrounding a potential move to Northwest Indiana: what leaving Illinois would mean to Bears fans.
He made clear the franchise would remain the Chicago Bears whether its new stadium is built in Arlington Heights or Hammond.
McCaskey also acknowledged the anxiety and stress some fans have expressed about leaving the state.
"We feel that anxiety, we feel that stress," McCaskey said. "We talked about this in March. It's going to require an adjustment."
He argued that Hammond remains geographically close to Chicago despite being across the state line.
"When I've driven that route, other than a sign telling me so, I wouldn't know that I've just crossed the state border," McCaskey said.
McCaskey said the organization believes the quality of a new stadium would ultimately outweigh concerns about its Indiana address.
"Once people see the building, once they get in there, once they understand that our top priority from day one was a world-class stadium experience, we think they'll make that adjustment," he said. "We think Bears fans are up for that."
McCaskey was also asked what the Bears might eventually do with the Arlington Park property if the team moves ahead with Hammond.
He said the organization has not gotten that far.
"Our focus is so much on Hammond that what to do with the Arlington Park property, that'll take care of itself in time," McCaskey said.
The Bears purchased the 326-acre Arlington Park property for $197.2 million in 2023, initially envisioning a fixed-roof stadium surrounded by a large mixed-use entertainment district.
RELATED: Arlington Heights Mayor Says Bears Stadium Talks Won't Happen 'Behind Closed Doors'
For years, Arlington Heights was viewed as the leading candidate for the team's future home.
Thursday's comments offered some of the clearest indications yet that the property is now taking a back seat to Hammond.
McCaskey said discussions with Illinois lawmakers since the June board vote have been "minimal."
Asked what happened after the Bears failed to secure the legislation they wanted during the spring session in Springfield, McCaskey said the organization had been waiting to see whether lawmakers would take substantive action.
"We felt we had presented a pretty compelling case that a stadium in Arlington would be beneficial not only for the village of Arlington Heights, but for the community and for the entire state," McCaskey said.
He cited the potential for economic activity, jobs and tax revenue.
"Ultimately, that argument was unsuccessful," McCaskey said.
Warren said the Bears have consistently sought two things from Illinois for an Arlington Heights project.
"We've been very clear for the last couple years," Warren said. "The things that we've always needed is property tax certainty. We need infrastructure certainty."
RELATED: Bears Move Forward With Plans For Indiana Stadium
Warren said those requirements have not changed, but since the June vote, the organization's time and resources have shifted heavily toward Indiana.
"We have really focused on Indiana," Warren said. "That's where our time and energy and effort has been spent, and we've had extremely productive meetings there."
McCaskey was asked whether he still hoped Illinois lawmakers could put together a package that might eventually bring Arlington Heights back to the forefront.
His answer underscored how much the team's posture has changed.
McCaskey recalled advice the Bears have received from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
"He has said to us many times in league meetings, 'Hope is not a strategy,'" McCaskey said. "We have to deal with the here and now. We have to deal with real circumstances, and these are the real circumstances."
Warren similarly said the Bears are not inclined to simply wait for Illinois to act.
"I think it's prudent for us to move with pace based upon where we are," Warren said.
McCaskey said the Bears have spoken frequently with Goodell about the stadium process and revealed that the commissioner personally visited the Lost Marsh property.
The NFL has been involved as the Bears evaluated what McCaskey described as two viable locations: Arlington Heights and Hammond.
McCaskey said he expects the league ultimately would become comfortable with an Indiana stadium.
He drew a comparison to the Kansas City Chiefs, whose stadium discussions have also included the possibility of crossing a state line.
"This has happened with other teams in other markets," McCaskey said. "We see many parallels there."
McCaskey also addressed the potential loss of one of the franchise's traditional identities if the Bears move into a fixed-roof stadium: cold-weather football.
He joked about predictions before a January game that a team from Southern California would struggle with "Bear weather," only to leave Chicago with a victory.
"It's fun to think about snow flurries and braving the elements," McCaskey said.
But he said the opportunity to host major events year-round in a fixed-roof stadium would more than compensate for losing the weather advantage.
The Bears have consistently pitched a roofed stadium as a venue capable of attracting major events that the Chicago area has historically been unable to host.
Warren did not provide a date for a final stadium decision Thursday, but said the process has reached a point where the Bears are gaining greater clarity.
"The moment that we finish our due diligence and have the appropriate capital stack and financing together, we are looking forward to making a decision so we can break ground and get our project going forward," Warren said.
He stressed that the size and longevity of the decision make it important for the team not to rush.
"This is a 40- to 50-year decision, and we have to pull all these things together," Warren said.
Warren said he is not disappointed by how long the stadium process has taken, describing large development projects as inherently complicated.
"They take time," Warren said. "The biggest thing for our fans, we have to get this right."
McCaskey similarly acknowledged the lengthy process.
He said Warren has reminded him that it took the Minnesota Vikings 11 years to get their stadium project done.
"I've reminded Kevin just as often we don't have that kind of time," McCaskey said.
Warren pushed back Thursday on the suggestion that the Bears made mistakes navigating Illinois' political process.
"I don't think we've made any mistakes," Warren said. "I really look at these as learning opportunities."
He described stadium developments around the NFL as complicated and expensive projects that require political support and substantial financing.
"These projects are complicated. They're expensive. They're challenging. They require political willpower," Warren said.
He noted that the Bears have never owned their own stadium.
"We haven't had our own stadium in 107 years of Chicago Bears football," Warren said.
Warren said the organization has taken what it believed were the necessary steps at each point in the process and is now approaching a point where it can bring the stadium search "to some closure."
McCaskey also defended Warren's role, pushing back on a perception that the Bears hired the former Vikings executive primarily because of his stadium-development experience.
"I've heard many times that the Bears hired Kevin to build a stadium, and that's not accurate," McCaskey said.
He cited Warren's vision, leadership, consensus building and ability to make difficult decisions.
"He's done an outstanding job for us," McCaskey said, adding that Warren's previous stadium experience was viewed as a plus.
Warren cited the escalating cost of delaying a project, saying stadium development costs are increasing by nearly $150 million per year.
"We just looked at the financial numbers last week, and you compare to where it was last year," Warren said. "These are real issues."
He said the Bears' ownership family is prepared to commit substantial private money toward the stadium.
"We have a family who's committed sizable resources of $2 billion out of their personal money, out of the organization, to build this stadium," Warren said.
For that reason, Warren said time has become another factor in the Bears' decision-making.
McCaskey pointed to enabling legislation already approved in Indiana as part of the framework that could support a Hammond project.
He said that legislation includes potential local tax revenue in Lake and Porter counties.
Warren, meanwhile, offered strong praise for Indiana officials and said the Bears are communicating with the state on an almost daily basis.
"The representatives from the state of Indiana, all the way from the governor's office to representatives in Northwest Indiana, have been phenomenal partners," Warren said.
He called them "stellar to work with" and described their approach as professional, diligent and carrying a "can-do attitude."
"We are in regular, almost daily communication with the state of Indiana, working on this," Warren said. "We have an excellent deal, a win-win partnership together."
Warren and McCaskey's comments came only hours after Gov. JB Pritzker said his administration remains in communication with the Bears and is working to keep the franchise in Illinois.
Speaking Thursday morning at the opening of the Illinois State Fair, Pritzker said his staff and Bears representatives have remained in contact.
"We're working hard to make sure that there's an opportunity for the Bears to stay in the state of Illinois, whether it's in Chicago or in Arlington Heights," Pritzker said.
RELATED: Pritzker Rips Bears' Stadium 'Fumbles,' Says Special Session Possible
Pritzker, who described himself as a Bears fan, said he personally wants the franchise to remain in Illinois while also protecting fans and taxpayers.
But he acknowledged that the Bears have not yet presented his administration with final legislative language for an Illinois stadium package.
"They have various things that they've talked to us about, but they haven't presented a … language in a bill to us," Pritzker said.
Warren agreed Thursday that no written proposal is currently before the state.
"Governor Pritzker is correct," Warren said. "There is nothing in writing. We don't have an offer from the state of Illinois."
Pritzker said the Bears need to determine what provisions they want lawmakers to consider and build legislative support around a final proposal.
When Warren was asked whether Pritzker's mention of either Chicago or Arlington Heights meant Chicago was back on the table, he declined to interpret the governor's remarks.
"You have to ask him that," Warren said. "I can't answer that question."
He again returned to Hammond.
Thursday's comments came one day after Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. told NBC Chicago that the Bears had informed him an announcement was coming Thursday.
RELATED: Bears Announcement Coming Thursday, Hammond Mayor Says
McDermott did not know exactly what the announcement would involve but said he hoped it concerned the stadium.
"I hope it's about the stadium," McDermott said Wednesday. "I don't want to presume."
McDermott also said extensive site testing was underway and that a local business within what he called the "new footprint" had reported crews boring holes on the property.
Warren's disclosure Thursday that due diligence is underway at Wolf Lake Terminal provides additional context for those comments.
The stadium update comes as the Bears move through training camp ahead of the preseason.
McCaskey opened his remarks Thursday by thanking fans for their turnout and enthusiasm at practices while expressing disappointment that weather forced the team to close Thursday's practice to spectators.
The Bears host the Cleveland Browns at noon Saturday at Soldier Field in their first preseason game.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Chicago Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.