Hammond, Indiana – Indiana lawmakers announced a shared commitment with the Chicago Bears to pursue a $2 billion stadium project in northwest Indiana, advancing a bill that would establish the financial framework for the proposed Hammond site.
On Feb. 19, members of the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee unanimously advanced Senate Bill 27, which would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority. The proposed authority would have the power to issue bonds, acquire land and finance construction near Wolf Lake in Hammond, close to the Illinois state line.
House Speaker Todd Huston told lawmakers the agreement represents what he described as a transformational investment for northwest Indiana. According to legislative leaders, the Bears are prepared to invest $2 billion toward the project, while the state, along with Lake and Porter counties, would outline complementary financial commitments under the bill.
The full Indiana Senate previously passed SB 27 on Jan. 28 by a 46-2 vote. The measure now moves forward in the House, where approval would formalize the state’s negotiating framework and allow additional due diligence at the Hammond site.
The Bears said passage of the bill would mark the most meaningful step forward in their stadium planning efforts to date, adding that site-specific evaluations remain ongoing.
Gov. Mike Braun said Indiana’s business climate and coordinated effort among state agencies and local governments positioned the project as a potential public-private partnership. He stated that final approval would depend on due diligence proceeding smoothly.
The negotiations follow months of shifting plans by the franchise, which owns 326 acres in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and holds a lease at Soldier Field through 2033. The potential Indiana move intensifies regional competition for the NFL franchise and could reshape economic development patterns across northwest Indiana and the greater Chicago area.
