Brandon Johnson Renews Chicago Pitch for Bears Stadium as Team Weighs Northwest Indiana Sites and Hammond Financing Options
CHICAGO, IL — Mayor Brandon Johnson is again making the case that the Chicago Bears should build their next stadium in the city, even as the team studies possible sites in northwest Indiana. Speaking at a Wednesday forum hosted by NBC 5, Telemundo Chicago and WVON, Johnson said the strongest plan for Chicago residents is for the Bears to stay put.
His comments come while the franchise broadens its search beyond Arlington Heights and looks at land just over the state line, with Hammond among the locations under review. Indiana has already signaled it could help finance a project there, giving the Bears another path as they weigh where to go next. Johnson, though, framed the discussion as a choice between speculation and a plan he says he has already put forward.
Johnson pitches a dome near Soldier Field
Johnson’s preferred idea is a stadium just south of Soldier Field, paired with a dome, stronger transit connections and better traffic flow around the lakefront campus. He said recent crowd issues around concerts and other major events reinforce the need for a more workable setup in the area.
The mayor also linked the stadium conversation to bigger public-access questions, arguing that large events can make it harder for people to move freely around the lakefront. He pointed to Lollapalooza, saying the scale of the festival and the way crowds are handled can cut off access to the Museum Campus. In his view, a redesigned site could improve both game day logistics and the way Chicagoans experience the area year-round.
Johnson said the goal is not just to host football but to create a better civic and transit outcome. He said the city should be able to welcome large crowds without turning the surrounding neighborhood into a bottleneck.
The Bears keep studying Indiana while Illinois lawmakers linger
The Bears have spent months exploring a new domed stadium as part of a broader effort to lure marquee events such as the Final Four and Super Bowl. Along the way, they have also floated retrofitting Soldier Field with a dome, while continuing to own the former Arlington International Racecourse property in suburban Arlington Heights.
That Arlington Heights plan has hit repeated obstacles. Illinois lawmakers did not pass a PILOT bill that would have given the team property tax certainty, and another proposal tied to infrastructure and transit improvements also failed to move through the legislature. With those hurdles unresolved, the Bears have said they are prioritizing a possible northwest Indiana project.
Still, the team has not ruled out other options, leaving Johnson, Illinois legislators and regional leaders to keep pressing their cases. Johnson said he will continue talks with the Illinois General Assembly on stadium-related issues, keeping Chicago in the mix as the negotiations continue.
What happens next in the stadium search
For now, the Bears are still doing due diligence on multiple sites in northwest Indiana, including Hammond, while Indiana officials have already approved a financing framework for a stadium in that area. That development has added pressure to the competition between Chicago, suburban Illinois and Indiana.
Johnson’s latest remarks suggest Chicago’s argument is far from over. The mayor is betting that transit access, lakefront redevelopment and proximity to Soldier Field can still outweigh the financial and logistical appeal of crossing the border. Whether the team treats the city’s pitch as a serious alternative will depend on how the next round of talks unfolds.
The franchise has not chosen a final site, and the public debate now centers on which region can offer the clearest combination of funding, infrastructure and fan experience. Chicago’s leaders are clearly trying to make sure the city remains part of that conversation.
Chicago's music scene, one story at a time — Chicago Music Guide.
