IL House Approves Bears Stadium Tax Breaks

The Illinois House voted 78-32 on April 22 to advance a bill meant to clear the way for a Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights. (cbsnews.com) The measure, House Bill 910, moved after the House Revenue and Finance Committee approved it 15-5 the same day. It now heads to the Illinois Senate, which returns next week. (nbcchicago.com) The bill would let qualifying “megaproject” developers freeze property tax assessments for 25 to 45 years and negotiate payments in lieu of taxes, known as PILOTs, with local taxing bodies. Illinois lawmakers have pitched that structure as the “tax certainty” the Bears have said they need in Arlington Heights. (cbsnews.com, chicagobears.com) The vote is the clearest sign yet that Illinois is trying to match Indiana’s recruiting effort. Bears President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren said on April 2 that the team expects to choose between Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana, by late spring or early summer. (chicagobears.com) The Bears already own 326 acres at the former Arlington International Racecourse site, which the team bought in February 2023. Warren said Arlington Heights is “shovel-ready,” but the team had been waiting for a legislative framework in Springfield. (patch.com, chicagobears.com) Lawmakers rewrote the proposal before the House vote to narrow who qualifies and to answer complaints about schools and homeowners. The latest version adds school-protection language and sends 50% of PILOT revenue into property tax relief, with 60% of that share earmarked for rebates inside the project district. (cbsnews.com) Supporters have argued the bill is broader than one football team. The amendment to Senate Bill 1911 says the state is creating a tool for major tourism, entertainment, retail and related developments, with state sales-tax-backed STAR bonds capped at 50% of total development costs. (ilga.gov) Opposition has come from two directions. Chicago officials have objected to a plan that could ease the Bears’ exit from Soldier Field, while some lawmakers and school advocates have warned that long tax freezes could shift costs onto other taxpayers or squeeze local revenue. (news.wttw.com, nbcchicago.com) Governor J.B. Pritzker said on April 16 that the “scaffolding of a deal” was in place and urged lawmakers to move faster before the General Assembly’s May 31 adjournment. After Wednesday’s House vote, the Bears said progress had been made but “additional amendments” are still needed to make Arlington Heights feasible. (capitolfax.com, abc7chicago.com)