Editor’s note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
Top Indiana legislative leaders suggest an agreement for a new Chicago Bears stadium could be near.
Local leaders in northwest Indiana are teasing that the upcoming week will be a “big indicator” of what could happen next.
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston is not only signaling his support for Senate Bill 27, which would create a northwest Indiana stadium authority to help build and finance a stadium, but he told reporters Thursday he would be sponsoring the legislation.
“I am now the sponsor on that bill, if that tells you my interest in getting it done, and I’m going to spend the next two days up in Lake County and Porter County having conversations with local elected officials. We’ll do everything we can. I think it’s an incredible economic opportunity for Northwest Indiana and for the state of Indiana, and hopefully, we’ll be moving something forward soon,” said Huston, a Republican from Fishers in the central part of the state.
Previously, Huston said he wanted a “commitment” from the Bears before signing off on the deal.
Michael Repay, the president for the Lake County Board of Commissioners, said it’s clear that something has changed, and things are progressing.
“In all my years, nearly 20 in political office, I’ve never … spoken to the Speaker of the House, nor have I ever spoken with the governor, and I’ve done both of those this week, so it’s different,” Repay said.
A stadium project would be “transformational,” said Phil Taillon, the president and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.
“The stadium obviously is a huge investment, but all the ancillary development around it — the retail, the restaurants, the shopping, family entertainment — it would be huge,” Taillon said.
Gary has three sites in mind, one near the Hard Rock Casino and two others along the lakefront. Hammond is lobbying, too. Local leaders see the potential economic benefits and are glad to see lawmakers making progress.
“The House speaker has such a intimate knowledge of the NFL … and the NBA and having worked with both teams in Indianapolis, and then having the wherewithal to come up here and interface with all of us, it’s pretty strong signal of their intent,” Repay said.
Illinois legislative leaders, however, are still in the game.
Members of the Illinois House will be back in Springfield Feb 17. Will they take up the “mega projects” bill the team has been lobbying for?
“We’re not there yet, but I’m confident that when this is all said and done, the Bears will remain in Illinois and we will find a way to make it work,” State Rep. Kam Buckner, a Democrat from Chicago, said on Tuesday.
He also added, “I am not worried about Indiana.”
When asked whether the Bears would need to pay off Soldier Field before a stadium deal could be reached in Illinois, Buckner said it’s important to him that “Chicago is not left holding the bag.”
“We’ve got to figure out how to do that, how to make sure that money that should be going to schools and roads and bridges and public safety is not going to a stadium that the Bears have now decided it’s not good enough for them,” Buckner said.
Meanwhile, Indiana’s bill could be heard in committee as soon as next week. A spokesperson for Huston said it has until Feb 19 to be heard in committee.
“I really think it’s going to come down to dollars and cents, and then getting through that mental hurdle of, ‘hey, we’re going across the border, but we’re still Chicagoland, and we’re still going to be in the same area where a lot of our fans are already located,'” Taillon said.