Pritzker, Johnson Clash Over Bears Stadium Plan

Gov. JB Pritzker publicly rebuked Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson this week over the Chicago Bears’ stadium search, reopening a political rift as the team weighs sites in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Hammond, Indiana. Pritzker said on May 18 that Johnson had “no plan” to keep the Bears in Chicago, while Johnson has been trying to block state legislation that would help clear the way for a suburban stadium. Two days later, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said after the league’s Orlando meetings that the Bears still consider only Arlington Heights and Hammond to be viable options. The exchange has left Chicago on the outside of the team’s formal site search even as City Hall keeps arguing a city deal is still possible. ### What did Pritzker say about Johnson’s approach? JB Pritzker told reporters in Chicago on May 18 that Brandon Johnson had “no plan” to keep the Bears in the city, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Pritzker said he would like the team to remain in Chicago but faulted the mayor for showing up late in the legislative session with demands that had not been developed into a workable proposal. The governor also tied his criticism to Springfield politics. Pritzker said Johnson’s push for city control of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority was another example of the mayor seeking action from lawmakers without laying groundwork for passage, the Sun-Times reported. ### Why is Johnson fighting the Arlington Heights bill? Brandon Johnson has spent May lobbying against legislation that Bears backers say is necessary for the Arlington Heights project. The mayor argued that Chicago lawmakers should not support a major tax break for a franchise he said is worth nearly $9 billion, according to the Sun-Times. Jason Lee, Johnson’s top adviser, said on May 15 that Chicago still believed it had an opening because both Arlington Heights and Hammond faced hurdles. Johnson’s team has also pushed for more city control over sports-facility decisions, though Pritzker dismissed that route as unrealistic in the current session. ### Why do Arlington Heights and Hammond matter more than Chicago right now? Roger Goodell said on May 20 that the Bears’ two “viable” sites are Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana, and that Chicago is not part of the team’s active list. Goodell’s comments followed an update from the club to NFL owners in Orlando, according to NBC Chicago. (chicago.suntimes.com) The Bears have told other teams and local reporters that they expect to choose a direction in late spring or early summer. The club owns a 326-acre tract in Arlington Heights that it bought in 2021 for $197.2 million, and ESPN reported earlier that the team had shifted its focus back to that suburban property. Hammond, meanwhile, has emerged as the cross-border alternative backed by Indiana incentives. (nbcchicago.com) ### What is at stake in Springfield before May 31? Illinois lawmakers are approaching a May 31 adjournment deadline for the spring session, and Bears supporters have said legislation must pass by then if Arlington Heights is to remain competitive with Hammond. The Chicago Sun-Times reported on May 21 that Senate sponsors see the bill as essential to keeping the franchise in Illinois. (espn.com) Bill Cunningham, an Illinois state senator backing the measure, told NBC Chicago that recent outreach by the Bears to Chicago officials may have stiffened opposition among city lawmakers. That has complicated efforts to build a coalition for the measure in the final days of session. (chicago.suntimes.com) ### How real is the Indiana threat? Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. has said Indiana’s pursuit of the Bears is serious, not a negotiating tactic. NBC Chicago reported that Indiana has put forward incentives worth as much as $1 billion for a Hammond stadium district, financed through taxes tied to the project and increases in local hospitality levies. (nbcchicago.com) Northwest Indiana officials have framed the proposal as a chance to bring the franchise across the state line, while Illinois officials continue to argue over whether public support for Arlington Heights should move forward. The Bears have not announced a final site decision. ### What happens next? May 31 is the immediate deadline because the Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn its spring session that day. (nbcchicago.com) The Bears have said they expect a decision in late spring or early summer, and the next concrete milestone is whether lawmakers pass the Arlington Heights legislation before adjournment. If that measure stalls, the team’s public list still consists of Arlington Heights and Hammond, with Roger Goodell and Bears officials identifying those two sites as the remaining options. (chicago.suntimes.com)