Illinois House Approves Bears Megaproject Bill
- The Illinois House voted 78-32 on April 22 to pass House Bill 910, a megaprojects measure meant to help the Chicago Bears pursue a domed stadium and mixed-use district in Arlington Heights. - The bill would let the Bears negotiate long-term payments in lieu of property taxes, with half of those payments reserved for homeowner tax relief and more talks still needed on infrastructure. - The vote gives Illinois its first major answer to Indiana’s rival stadium push, but the Bears said more amendments are still needed before Arlington Heights works. (nprillinois.org)
The Illinois House approved a Bears-backed megaprojects bill on April 22, moving Arlington Heights a step closer to landing the team’s next stadium. (nprillinois.org) Lawmakers passed House Bill 910 by a 78-32 vote after hours of closed-door talks in Springfield. Rep. Kam Buckner, a Chicago Democrat, sponsored the measure. (chicago.suntimes.com) (wgntv.com) The bill would let large projects negotiate payments in lieu of property taxes, known as PILOT agreements, instead of paying under the usual assessment system. The Bears have argued for years that they need that kind of property-tax certainty at the former Arlington Park site. (capitolfax.com) (chicago.suntimes.com) House Democrats added a statewide tax-relief piece to broaden support. Reporting on the amendment said 50% of the PILOT payment would be set aside for property tax relief, with 60% of that local share aimed near the project and 40% directed to statewide efforts. (capitolfax.com) The vote came as Illinois tries to keep the Bears from shifting their focus to Hammond, Indiana. Indiana lawmakers have already approved a package that Capitol News Illinois said could top $1 billion in public subsidies. (capitolnewsillinois.com) (fox32chicago.com) The Bears did not treat the House vote as a final deal. The team said it welcomed the House’s progress, but said “additional amendments are necessary” and tied any Arlington Heights plan to separate agreement on infrastructure funding. (nbcchicago.com) (chicago.suntimes.com) Gov. JB Pritzker’s office called the House vote “an important step” and repeated that any legislation must protect taxpayers. Buckner said the bill creates a mechanism that makes it possible for the Bears to stay in Illinois, but he did not promise the team will choose Arlington Heights. (chicago.suntimes.com) (nprillinois.org) The Arlington Heights site is the 326-acre former racetrack property the Bears bought in February 2023 for $197.2 million. Village officials said last year the team’s broader stadium-and-district concept could become the largest private development project in Illinois history. (patch.com 1) (patch.com 2) The bill now goes to the Illinois Senate, where further amendments are expected before lawmakers adjourn their spring session on May 31. For now, the House vote gave Illinois leverage, not a finished stadium deal. (abc7chicago.com) (nprillinois.org)
