With fourth-quarter urgency, another Northwest Indiana community is adding its pitch to try and lure the Chicago Bears, as northwest suburban Arlington Heights keeps the pressure on.
Leaders in Portage, Indiana, made a pitch for a new Bears stadium, “Halas Harbor,” on Wednesday.
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The leaders shared video of what the 300-plus acre complex might look like. It would be located between Route 12 and Interstate 94.
“We have the land. We have the water. We have the location,” Portage Mayor Austin Bonta said. “We have the financing and the local leadership ready to embark on a major development.”
The Bears have also explored a proposed site near Hammond, and Indiana lawmakers are moving full steam ahead before the end of their spring session in less than three weeks.
Portage, Indiana is adding its pitch to try and lure a new Chicago Bears stadium, as northwest suburban Arlington Heights keeps the pressure on.
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“That again for me shows how serious we are in Indiana, that we have a bill in place and structured about making sure those economic and financial things are taken care of,” said Indiana state Rep. Earl Harris, who represents the state’s 2nd District.
Supporters of the Bears’ possible home in Arlington Heights are rallying. People started arriving at the event Wednesday evening, which was organized by Arlington Heights, business and political leaders. They say time is running out for Illinois lawmakers to keep the bears in Illinois.
The leaders say Arlington Heights is still the best option for the Bears, but aggressive moves by multiple Northwest Indiana cities and the Indiana legislature pose a real threat.
RELATED: Johnson says Chicago isn’t giving up as state leaders work to prevent Bears from moving to Indiana
Illinois lawmakers are currently in talks with the Bears on a bill that would provide long-term property tax certainty for the Bears. However, some see reluctance on the part of some Chicago lawmakers who are still hoping to keep the Bears in the city as a reason for why a deal hasn’t gotten done.
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“If we don’t treat this as Illinois versus Indiana, and we treat this as city versus suburb, we’re dead in the water. We’re not going to have a stadium in Illinois any more,” said Ernie Rose with Touchdown Arlington.
“We are afraid that not only is Arlington Heights potentially going to lose this deal, but the state of Illinois may potentially lose this deal if we don’t act quickly,” said Heather Larson Meet Chicago Northwest. “Because we do believe that the Indiana threat is real.”
Sources tell ABC7 Chicago the Bears and legislative leaders have met weekly since December to discuss the state paying for infrastructure around the stadium while the team pays for the stadium itself.
Chicago, however, does not appear to be in the running, but Mayor Brandon Johnson said he is still not giving up hope.
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Sources say the Bears are expected to make this major decision in the coming weeks.
SEE ALSO | Talks of Bears moving to suburbs progressing, Pritzker says, amid attempts to lure team to Indiana
It’s not just Indiana and Illinois towns getting involved. There are now three states involved in the stadium sweepstakes.
A group of lawmakers in Iowa just filed legislation in the statehouse to try and lure the Bears west of the Mississippi River. They want to change state law to offer incentives to the Bears to build a future stadium in the Hawkeye State.
