Could Indiana Bid For The NFL Bears’ Franchise?

It is a longshot at best.

Sometimes someone is just looking for attention and that apparently is what happened in Indiana where Representative Earl Harris Jr. wants to put together legislation that could lead to Indiana to land the National Football League’s Chicago Bears franchise. Only problem, Harris hasn’t really talked to the Bears’ franchise ownership. The Indiana state legislature has House Bill 1292 in front of them and that bill  would establish a Northwest Indiana professional sports development commission, which would study plans to attract one or more professional sports franchises. The commission would spend money from the professional sports development fund, which would be funded through general assembly appropriations, grants, gifts and donations.

The bill would not only apply to the Bears’ franchise but other sports owners who are looking to relocate into the northwestern part of Indiana near Chicago. The Bears’ business is looking for land to build a stadium. It is unclear if Bears’ ownership feels that a 326-acre piece of property it owns in Arlington Heights, a northern Chicago suburb, is suitable as a location for a stadium or if the group thinks the local property tax bill is too high. Bears’ ownership seemingly would rather move its base of operations within a five minute walk of its present Soldier Field home. Bears’ ownership wants to build a stadium in Soldier Field’s parking lot and surround the facility with stores, office space and housing. Bears’ ownership has met resistance to that notion. The McCaskey family, the owners of the football business, claimed they were willing to throw in about $2 billion to help finance the venture but the McCaskeys wanted at least $900 million in bonds from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Illinois politicians are not too impressed with the McCaskey family’s plans. The Bears’ stadium saga continues.

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