Talks of Bears moving to suburbs progressing, Pritzker says, amid attempts to lure team to Indiana
· Yahoo Sports
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker suggested on Monday that the state is making progress in talks with the Chicago Bears.
It comes as the pressure is mounting for the state to act soon to counter attempts to lure the team to northwest Indiana.
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In just two days, a coalition of suburban leaders will gather to address what they see as the urgent need for the state to move during this legislative session to keep the Bears in Illinois. The attempts by Indiana to lure the Bears across state lines are not something the governor is taking lightly.
"I never take anything as if it's a bluff. I mean, I'm always concerned about making sure that we're attracting businesses or keeping businesses in the state of Illinois," Pritzker said.
With a bill moving through the Indiana State House that could pave the way for a publicly financed stadium for the Bears in Gary, time is of the essence for supporters of stadium at the site of the former Arlington Heights Racetrack, a property the Bears now own.
"I think if you look at the speed with which Indiana is working, the efficiency of their process, and the fact that all both parties have seem to have rallied around this in Indiana, we need to take it deathly seriously," said Ernie Rose with Touchdown Arlington.
Similar to a coalition gathering held last month, supporters of a Bears financed stadium in Arlington Heights will join forces on Wednesday night to send a message to lawmakers in Springfield that they have to act this legislative session.
"We spent the past two years in fighting about the possibility of Chicago versus Arlington Heights. We're not there anymore. If we're going to keep the Bears in Illinois, we've got one option, and it's Arlington Heights," Rose said. "Any mention of a Chicago stadium, at this point, is a distraction."
The governor said discussions about the Bears moving out of Soldier Field for a new home in Arlington Heights are moving forward.
"There's a lot of discussion, a lot of ongoing conversation with the Bears, and indeed, frankly, progress that's been made so I'm pleased about that," Pritzker said.
The Bears are looking for help with infrastructure needs around any stadium they would build, along with a long-term agreement on property taxes. Discussions are continuing with state leaders.
"And specifically, I think there's a real possibility that many of the things that we put on the table to work with the Bears on are things that they're willing to do to stay in the state of Illinois," Pritzker said.
One leading lawmaker, Kam Buckner, who is from Chicago, is still in favor of keeping the Bears in the city. He told ABC7 that he believes lawmakers will indeed get something done in this legislation session.