Bears Plan Indiana Move as Developers Pitch $10B Stadium

Chicago developers Capri Investment Group and GRIT Chicago have proposed a roughly $10 billion, 100-acre Bronzeville Lakefront redevelopment, anchored by a 75,000-seat domed stadium, as the Bears plan to move to Indiana. The proposal combines the former Michael Reese Hospital site with nearby land and includes thousands of homes, including affordable units, as well as hotels, retail, offices, sports facilities, parks and transit improvements. The developers offered to buy the Bears’ Arlington Heights property if it is an obstacle to considering a Chicago site; the team has previously raised concerns about the Michael Reese site’s size and active rail lines, and it is unclear whether it has reviewed the revised plan. Separately, Illinois lawmakers are considering a stadium-financing framework that could let a public authority own a privately financed facility and provide property-tax exemptions, potentially for multiple locations. Supporters say the framework could help keep the Bears in Illinois, while some lawmakers say stadium tax protections should come with broader property-tax relief for residents.