Pritzker, Johnson Clash Over Bears Stadium

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have turned the Chicago Bears’ stadium search into a public fight just as the team narrows its options and Springfield faces a legislative deadline. Pritzker said on May 18 that Johnson had “no plan” to keep the Bears in Chicago, while Johnson has continued to argue that the city’s lakefront remains the best home for the team. The clash comes as the Bears and the NFL have publicly centered the decision on two sites outside the city: Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Hammond, Indiana. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said May 19 that those were the two “viable” sites presented to owners at league meetings in Orlando. ### What did Pritzker say about Johnson? JB Pritzker told reporters in Chicago on May 18 that Johnson had “no plan at all” for how the Bears would remain in the city. The governor said he would like the team to stay in Chicago, but added that “we are three years in now, and he still has no plan,” according to the Sun-Times and NBC Chicago. (chicago.suntimes.com) Pritzker also said Johnson had shown up “late in the game” with demands in Springfield. The remarks followed Johnson’s recent push for the city to gain more control over the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the state-created body tied to Soldier Field financing, as part of a renewed effort to keep the Bears in Chicago. (chicago.suntimes.com) ### What is Johnson’s counterargument? Brandon Johnson has pointed back to the city’s 2024 lakefront stadium proposal and said Chicago still offers the best option. In comments reported by Patch and NBC Chicago, Johnson said the city “put forth a plan a couple of years ago” and maintained that “the best place for the Bears to play is in the city of Chicago.” (nbcchicago.com) The Chicago proposal announced in April 2024 called for a publicly owned domed stadium south of the current Soldier Field. Patch reported at the time that the stadium itself carried a reported $3.2 billion price tag, with the broader project estimated at about $4.6 billion. NBC Chicago reported taxpayers would have covered about $1.5 billion under that concept. (patch.com) ### Why are Arlington Heights and Hammond leading? Roger Goodell said in Orlando on May 19 that the Bears presented two sites they regard as viable: one in Illinois and one in Indiana. CBS Chicago reported those sites were Arlington Heights and Hammond, and Goodell said both were considered viable “in the Bears’ minds, and others, and ours.” Kevin Warren, the Bears’ president and chief executive, said in April that the team expected to choose between Arlington Heights and Hammond by late spring or early summer. (patch.com) The Bears bought the former Arlington Park racetrack property in 2023, while Indiana in April enacted Senate Bill 27 to create a stadium authority and provide a framework for up to $1 billion in support for a Hammond project near Wolf Lake. (cbsnews.com) ### What is Springfield actually deciding? Illinois lawmakers approved HB910 in the House on April 22 by a 78-32 vote. Patch reported the bill would allow megaprojects involving at least $500 million in investment to negotiate a freeze on property tax assessments, a provision intended to support a Bears stadium in Arlington Heights. (chicagobears.com) Kam Buckner, a Democratic state representative from Chicago, said after the NFL owners’ meeting that lawmakers were trying to create a framework to keep the Bears in Illinois, not choose a winner between Chicago and the suburbs. Pritzker said he expected a deal before the spring legislative session ends on May 31, according to CBS Chicago. ### Is Chicago still in the running? (patch.com) The Bears have repeatedly signaled that Chicago is not one of their active finalists. The Sun-Times reported on May 18 that the team planned to tell the other 31 NFL clubs in Orlando that Arlington Heights and Hammond were the only two viable sites still under consideration. (cbsnews.com) Brandon Johnson and his aides have not conceded that point. Jason Lee, a senior adviser to the mayor, told the Sun-Times last week there were still major hurdles facing both Arlington Heights and Hammond, while Johnson has continued to argue that the city’s lakefront infrastructure and tourism draw make Chicago the stronger long-term location. (chicago.suntimes.com) May 31 is the next concrete date in the dispute. By then, the Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to end its spring session, HB910 remains before the Senate, and the Bears have said they expect a site decision in late spring or early summer. (patch.com) (chicago.suntimes.com)