The effort to lure the Chicago Bears across the Illinois state line gained additional momentum as Todd Huston, speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, announced he will sponsor a bill that seeks to construct a new stadium for the NFL team.
Inside Indianapolis Business reports that in addition to becoming the House sponsor of SB 27, Huston will meet with local officials in northwest Indiana to discuss how to finance a new stadium, which could cost billions of dollars.
“I am now the sponsor on that bill, if that tells you my interest in getting it done,” Huston said. “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.”
The bill creates the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, which will be responsible for acquiring land and financing the construction of a domed stadium, potentially for the Bears as they seek to move out of their longtime home at Soldier Field in Chicago. The bill authorizes the new stadium authority to negotiate terms of a 35-year lease with a professional sports team and issue 40-year bonds that will be used to finance the construction of a new stadium.
Gov. Mike Braun has advocated for having the Bears in Indiana. SB 27 passed the Senate last week.
The Bears has originally sought to build a new stadium adjacent to Soldier Field and later said they were interested in creating a new venue in suburban Arlington Heights. However, the team and Illinois state officials have failed to reach an agreement on the level of public funding that might be directed to a new stadium.
Photo by Mark Goebel / Wikimedia Commons
