GARY, Ind. (WISH) – A state and local effort to lure the Chicago Bears to Northwest Indiana might be more than a Hail Mary.
“This is very real,” Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said in an interview with News 8. “The State of Indiana and Gary, Indiana is taking it very serious.”
The City of Gary announced three potential sites for the Bears to build a new stadium Friday, releasing conceptual renderings in a multimedia pitch on why Gary is a realistic home for the NFL franchise.
“I’ve been a Bears fan my entire life, knowing that on the other side of the ball this is a business,” Melton, a Democrat, said, “and Indiana has the infrastructure from a tax perspective to make that business even more successful.”
The city’s presentation points out a lower corporate tax, sales tax, individual tax, and commercial property tax in Lake County compared to Cook County, which encompasses Chicago and Arlington Heights where the Bears are discussing stadium deals.
That tax advantage doesn’t include additional financing and incentives that would be available to the team if Senate Bill 27 passes, which is currently under consideration in the statehouse. If passed, it would establish the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority; a body with the ability to finance and construct an entire NFL stadium development.
The Chicago Bears applauded the legislation, calling it a “significant milestone in our discussions”.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, has resisted committing funding for a new stadium. The Bears publicly expanded their search for “a new world-class stadium” to include Northwest Indiana in December.
“Indiana is not joking around,” said Melton. When asked if the Bears are using Indiana to leverage a better deal in Illinois, he said, “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that leverage is not needed.”
Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, addressed the possibility during his State of the State address, “We are working hard to bring the Chicago Bears to the Hoosier State.” Gov. Braun did not specify where Indiana is trying to bring the Bears, as Hammond has also been floated as a potential landing place, but Mayor Melton believes Gary is the best situated for the team’s home.
“When you look at the infrastructure, when you look at the progress that’s taken place just in the last two years since I’ve taken office, Gary is on the comeback,” Melton said. “I think (the Bears) know that Gary is the best option if they move to Northwest Indiana.”
Gary is just 30 minutes from downtown Chicago, connected by passenger rail through the South Shore Line, and includes beach-front property along Lake Michigan. It’s also faces a declining population, which has dropped by more than 12,700 since 2010 according to US Census data. While believing it’s a “sound business decision” for the Bears, Melton recognizes how the team moving to Gary could transform the city. “It just expands the opportunities beyond our limits.”
