The Bears are weighing a combined stadium footprint in Hammond, Indiana, AP reports.
Why it matters: A new NFL stadium site can reshape public financing, infrastructure planning and nearby real estate. It also signals where the Bears may commit after months of shifting between Illinois and Indiana options.
- AP reported Aug. 13 that the Bears are still advancing a stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, while doing due diligence on a second site there.
- The team voted June 4 to advance a Hammond stadium development project, with the exact site to be selected later.
- In April, Kevin Warren said the team expected to choose between Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Hammond by late spring or early summer.
- The Bears own 326 acres at the former Arlington International Racecourse site in Arlington Heights.
The Chicago Bears are keeping their Hammond, Indiana stadium plan alive, while also looking at a second site there, according to AP reporting on Aug. 13. The move suggests the team may be exploring a larger or more flexible footprint as it continues talks around a potential NFL stadium project in northwest Indiana. AP report
The Bears said on June 4 that their board voted to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, but did not name an exact parcel. In that statement, the team said it was in discussions with Indiana officials and called the project one that would transform the region. Bears statement
Kevin Warren had said in April that the team expected to make a decision by late spring or early summer between Arlington Heights and Hammond. He also said Indiana had already provided tax certainty for a 340-acre Hammond site. Team update
The Bears’ earlier stadium strategy also included Arlington Heights, where the team owns 326 acres of the former Arlington International Racecourse site. AP reported in June that the team was moving forward with Northwest Indiana after Illinois stadium-financing efforts stalled, while still without an exact Hammond site. June AP report
By the numbers
- June 4, 2026 - date the Bears board advanced the Hammond project.
- 326 acres - Arlington Heights parcel owned by the Bears.
- 340 acres - size of the Hammond site referenced by Warren in April.
Yes, but: The exact mechanics of the two-site idea are not yet clear, and the Bears have not publicly identified a final Hammond parcel.
What's next: The key next step is a final stadium site selection in Hammond or a renewed decision between Hammond and Arlington Heights.