Midnight Deadline Looms As Bears Stadium Bill Stalls In Springfield

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — With a midnight deadline looming in Springfield, lawmakers are racing to salvage a stadium incentive plan aimed at keeping the Chicago Bears in Illinois after a key bill tied to the team’s potential move to Arlington Heights stalled late Saturday.

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting the Bears’ megaprojects stadium bill broke down with barely a day left in the spring legislative session, as State Sen. Bill Cunningham said his chamber’s caucus would not support the property-tax incentive bill the team has said it needs to keep from moving to Hammond, Indiana.

Capitol News Illinois is also reporting Cunningham said the PILOT bill aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois does not have the support needed to pass the Illinois Senate. The legislation had been viewed as a key piece of the team’s push for tax certainty tied to a potential stadium development at the former Arlington International Racecourse property.

Cunningham told reporters lawmakers were still discussing alternative economic incentives that could keep the team in Illinois and put Chicago back in the mix to compete for the stadium.

RELATED: Bears Contacted Chicago About Potential Lakefront Return

Chicago has reemerged as a possible factor in the stadium discussion after months in which the Bears publicly focused on Arlington Heights and Hammond. The Bears have met repeatedly with Chicago officials over several months, according to Cunningham.

Patch previously reported Cunningham said the Bears contacted Chicago in late April about a possible return to lakefront stadium discussions if the Arlington Heights proposal did not move forward. At the time, Cunningham said the outreach had strengthened Mayor Brandon Johnson’s opposition to the megaproject legislation.

The late-session negotiations are unfolding as lawmakers also work to pass a roughly $56 billion state budget by midnight Sunday.

The Bears have not sought public funds for stadium construction in Illinois, but the team has pushed for a mechanism allowing it to negotiate and lock in a lower property tax payment with local governing bodies for up to 40 years, according to Capitol News Illinois.

The proposal has faced opposition from multiple directions, including progressive lawmakers concerned about tax breaks for wealthy team owners, legislators worried about the effect on local tax revenue and Chicago lawmakers wary of helping the team leave the city.

Lawmakers were holding out hope for a new deal, potentially one that could provide the tax certainty sought by the Bears along with infrastructure funding around a stadium development.

Cunningham said lawmakers are still hoping to complete something before leaving town Sunday night.

The Bears purchased the former Arlington International Racecourse property for $197.2 million in 2023 and later demolished the racetrack as part of plans for a proposed $5 billion domed stadium development.

In April 2024, Johnson and the Bears announced plans for a publicly owned domed stadium adjacent to Soldier Field on the Museum Campus lakefront. That project carried a reported $3.2 billion stadium price tag, with the broader development expected to cost roughly $4.6 billion.

Indiana has also been competing for the team. Gov. Mike Braun signed legislation this spring allowing Indiana to commit up to $1 billion toward a proposed stadium project in Hammond.

Bears CEO Kevin Warren has previously said the team expects to decide by late spring or early summer where it will play in the future.