On Friday, the Bears announced that their board of directors voted to move forward with their stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana. Hours later, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) said, not so fast.
The mayor of Chicago took to social media to remind fans that he will continue the fight to keep the Bears in Chicago until “we see shovels in the ground in Hammond.”
“Over the last several years the Bears have stated their intentions in multiple jurisdictions, today’s announcement is not surprising,” Johnson wrote.
“It’s also not surprising that Bears officials have stated this vote does not mean a move to Hammond is a done deal.
“Without a final site selection, until we see shovels in the ground in Hammond, the City of Chicago will continue to engage in discussions grounded in the interests of our residents.”
Johnson is not wrong.
The Bears voted to develop the stadium project in Hammond, but the final site for the stadium has not yet been determined. It is generally believed that it will be located in the Wolf Lake area, but the exact site is not yet known.
Until that happens, Chicago is still in play to keep the Bears in their ancestral homeland.
Johnson will, however, need some help from state lawmakers if he is to pull that off. One of the major sticking points in the political process has been the failure of Illinois state politicians and city officials in Arlington Heights to reach an agreement on stadium funding and tax certainty.
The Bears are unlikely to deviate from their plans to move to Hammond unless lawmakers make Illinois appear to be a far more attractive alternative.