(KIWA Staff Photo)
Hammond, Indiana — The Chicago Bears announced Friday they are proceeding with new stadium arrangements in Hammond, setting the team to play its home games in Indiana.
The announcement comes after the team’s Board of Directors voted Thursday to advance development projects in Hammond and after Illinois failed to pass a bill for a planned site in Arlington Heights on Monday.
Chairman George H. McCaskey and President and CEO Kevin Warren released a joint statement stating that the exact site is yet to be selected. However, they believe the project will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana and the South Side of Chicago through the Loop as well as across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of Hammond.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the vote is not final, but as one source told him, it’s essentially a done deal, barring anything strange.
If the move finalizes, and the Bears move to Hammond, Indiana will become home to two NFL franchises, with the Bears joining the Indianapolis Colts in the state.
