Bears threaten move to Indiana after property tax break bill frustrations

By Jon Styf | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Chicago Bears leadership is claiming that it is considering a move to Northwest Indiana after the team says state leaders in Illinois told them that creating property tax breaks for a new Bears stadium and development in Arlington Heights would not be a priority in 2026.

The Bears and Arlington Heights posted paid consultant reports this fall asking for $855 million in public funds for infrastructure at the site for a stadium and development as well as a new state law that would allow the team to pay lower property taxes than other businesses with a fixed payment through what is called a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT.

Economist J.C. Bradbury, who studies the finances of stadiums and developments across the country, said that threats to move a team across state lines to gain leverage are not uncommon. The Chicago White Sox have done it in the past and teams like the Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs have done it in the past few years.

Bradbury said that he can’t think of a time a professional sports team moved without an explicit threat on where the team would go, that the threat that comes to fruition is never vague.

“When you say you are going to move somewhere else, there’s no reason to keep that a secret where you’re going to move,” Bradbury told The Center Square. “If a threat is that vague, it’s not real. It’s clearly a phony threat.”

The team claims that a PILOT and infrastructure funding would not involve state taxpayer dollars for a stadium if someone would separate the costs for the actual stadium construction from the overall development, where taxpayer money would be used for roads and infrastructure.

“We have not asked for state taxpayer dollars to build the stadium at Arlington Park,” Bears CEO and President Kevin Warren said in a statement. “We asked only for a commitment to essential local infrastructure (roads, utilities, and site improvements) which is more than typical for projects of this size. Additionally, we sought reasonable property tax certainty to secure financing.”

But Bradbury said that teams don’t care what the funding pays for, they just care that public funding happens.

“The team doesn’t care how much it is covered, whether it is direct money or whether it comes in the form of abatements or funding infrastructure,” Bradbury said. “These are all things that have to be done.

“If they can put most of their own private costs into the stadium, then it makes it look like less of a subsidy,” he said.

Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia said in a statement that he believes the Northwest Indiana underlines that a “megaproject bill is necessary to make a development of this scale possible.”

Economists, however, have consistently shown that the public costs associated with stadium and development costs are not justified by the benefit and that large economic claims in consultant reports before a stadium is built do not come to fruition.

“We encourage our Illinois State legislators to move forward with the Megaproject bill,” Tinaglia said in a statement. “This legislation will help to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois, within the limits of Cook County, and ultimately – in Arlington Heights.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told media through a spokesperson that the Bears’ threat was a “starting slap in the face to all of the beloved and loyal fans” and that the Bears are a private business that can make its own decisions but the “bottom line for any private business development should not come at the full expense of taxpayers.”

The Chicago Bears recognize Indiana’s pro-business climate, and I am ready to work with them to build a new stadium in Northwest Indiana. This move would deliver a major economic boost, create jobs, and bring another premier NFL franchise to the Hoosier State. Let’s get it… https://t.co/bW72dSxS3p— Governor Mike Braun (@GovBraun) December 18, 2025

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun acknowledged the Bears’ announcement, writing that “The Chicago Bears recognize Indiana’s pro-business climate, and I am ready to work with them to build a new stadium in Northwest Indiana.”