Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Best of the Bears: Stadium development project moves forward in Hammond
05 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What recent decision did the Bears make regarding their stadium project?
We are back with breaking news on Rahimi Harris and Grody. We mentioned at the top of the hour, David Hong reporting. The Bears are expected to announce today their board of directors has voted. They will be focused on Hammond moving forward as the future site of their stadium. That according to two legislative sources. Well, the Bears have now issued a statement. They sent an email.
just moments ago, and this is the entirety of the email. It is this statement. Yesterday, the Chicago Bears board of directors met and voted to advance our stadium development and project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected. To be selected.
We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting northwest Indiana to the south side of Chicago through the loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses. So the exact wording George McCaskey and Kevin Warren used in this statement,
is to advance our stadium development project with the exact site to be selected.
Chapter 2: What are the implications of moving the Bears to Hammond, Indiana?
And Mark, I understand you're doing some reporting on this as well.
Well, there is some stadium stuff that I wanted to reiterate from an Illinois senator, but also in the midst of this, a little bit of on-the-field news as well. The Bears today announced the signing of two selections from the 2026 NFL Draft. Defensive back Dylan Thienemann and offensive lineman Logan Jones have been signed.
The other thing as it pertains to the stadium, I just think it's interesting. I wanted to reiterate the text that I got from a senator, and again, I don't know if I have permission to say who it is. I bet they wouldn't care, but Kevin Warren called to let me know that they're going to Indiana, not specifically Hammond. Warren, of course, the president and CEO of the Bears.
Another source said that Warren told him, we're moving forward with the Indiana plan. When asked what that meant, Warren said, we're going to focus on Hammond. So it's just a little bit open still. Right, Layla? Would you characterize it that way?
Until they sell Arlington Heights, yes. Yes.
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Chapter 3: How do local officials and stakeholders view the Bears' move?
That's my cue, guys.
With the exact site to be selected is the part of the statement that gave me a bit of pause just to make sure I'm understanding exactly what they're saying here with the advancement of the Indiana plan, right? When you hear the exact site to be selected, does that mean they still don't have it narrowed down or they do have it narrowed down? The way it's worded is kind of, It's a little ambiguous.
Right. Just a little bit.
Okay, so here's the question then. Is it ambiguous on purpose or is it ambiguous out of a lack of oversight? I would bet that it's ambiguous on purpose.
You're probably right. I agree with you, Layla. Yes, it leaves the door open.
tiny little bit until if you want to get back together with me you still can i'm dating somebody else but i'll take you back is this like the ex who doesn't believe it's over until like the guy's walking down the uh aisle yeah it might it might be and to be honest based on everything you've heard since kevin warren was hired i mean they've shifted what three times now arlington heights chicago arlington heights indiana arlington indiana
312.
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Chapter 4: What environmental concerns are associated with the proposed stadium site?
This is a hell of a Friday news dump. Who you calling a news dump? 312-644-6767 is our number. I hope you guys know that I'm joking. Let's go to one of the aforementioned suburbs that we mentioned, huh? Crystal Lake. Mark is in Crystal Lake. You're on Rahimi Harrison-Grody.
What's up? Hi, guys. How's everyone doing?
Oh, you know, just hanging out.
Great. Well, let me give you a little bit of perspective here. So I live in Crystal Lake.
Chapter 5: How do fans feel about the Bears potentially relocating to Indiana?
Out of the three options, I'd love the city. Everyone wants to go to the city. The second option, Arlington Park. Obviously, it's closer to me, but the Indiana thing is just, I predict, to be a disaster. I own a bar in Chicago. They tax me. They choke me as a business, and I can see why the Bears can actually think of going to Indiana. But this has been a hot topic at the bar that I own.
And what it is is it's pretty much like a bad present that you get, but you've got to fake your way through it. You know, that's what Indiana is. And the people that surround that area of the bar, they don't mind going to Arlington Heights, but it just seems like Indiana is almost like going to a Green Bay Packer game. It just doesn't sit pretty with people.
That's a harsh analogy right there. You were going well up until the Green Bay thing. It's not that bad.
Chapter 6: What are the financial considerations for the Bears' new stadium project?
It is that bad because people love the city. They're very dedicated to the city. I think what the problem is is legislature in Illinois, they can't solve problems. How can Indiana, right across the border, come up with a solution or a within six, seven months.
Well, Mark, I think what has happened is it hasn't been six or seven months, right?
They just did these things in a process that is not only familiar to the state and how they, we just mentioned all the other publicly financed avenues, like whether it was a Lucas Oil Stadium, whether it was Gainbridge, you know, there was a position of understanding what would happen legislation-wise in order to make this stuff happen. And then the order of operations was correct.
I think what we're seeing, though, based on when we asked Brandon Johnson what the city's role was in shutting down the pilot bill, that I wonder if the city's belief is it's more beneficial to Chicago proper to have this be in Indiana rather than it be in Arlington Heights.
And then 847 on the text line, there are so many Chicagoans that go to Notre Dame games every Saturday. People will adjust. I understand the outrage from people to the north and the northwest of the city, but I also understand we've got a bunch of texts on our line talking about how excited they are. The stadium will be closer to them if it's built in Indiana.
Here's the issue, though, is we have a biased audience. We have an audience that wants to support the Bears because this is a sports talk radio station.
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Chapter 7: What challenges does the Bears face in the stadium development process?
Yes. So we know who we're getting. The question is, how do the residents of Indiana feel about the taxes? I've seen some of the replies, and that's obviously a biased sample size as well, to reporters out of Indianapolis, and they were not favorable of the taxes that were involved. We've seen some texts on our text line, but the train has left the station. 312-644-6767 is our number.
We go to Michael and Kerry. Hi, Michael.
Yeah, how you doing there? Hey, Mike. Very ā I'm very upset. I think it's a huge mistake based on the fact that 60% of the season ticket holders are from the north and northwest suburbs. And so I don't ā I'm a Bear fan. I go to four games every year. You know, it's a little tough getting out of Soldier Field.
Chapter 8: What are the future steps for the Bears' stadium project in Hammond?
I'd love to see him stay in the city. I don't think that can work. Arlington Park seemed like a great location. So it's just looking at it from my point of view between Warren ā The governor and the mayor, they've messed this thing up, all three of them. I also question McCaskey's ability to own an NFL team today based on other owners that own them. I mean, this is a billionaire's game.
Most people buying these teams like the Broncos were just purchased for almost a billion dollars more than the appraised value on them. These people have money. Taxes are not going to get in the way of most people that own NFL teams today. That's not going to happen. We let this happen here because I think the McCaskies are kind of, I feel like they can't afford this team any longer.
I think you're in the right city, maybe the wrong zip code. I think the only thing they couldn't afford was the property tax bill in Arlington Heights.
Or so they claim not to be able to forward that. I will say this, too. And I made the point that there's going to be people who are offered a Bears ticket the last second if they live in Crystal Lake or South Elgin or St. Charles or name your city in the far west suburbs or the North Shore. Whatever the case may be, they're going to turn it down.
Some people, though, I think the majority of Bears fans will adjust and they'll look at it as it's just going to have to be a journey. And it is going to be a bitch to get there. But especially if you're in your 20s or 30s.
It's an all-day event.
Just suck it up and go. Exactly. I understand. And anybody that's like, if the Bears do move to Indiana and you're pissed off about it, I'm not going to try to talk anybody out of it. Oh, no, no. Your feelings are your feelings. I understand. It doesn't feel good.
And if I was not in the business that I'm in and I'm young in his 20s, Mark Grody, I'd probably, I know I'd be really pissed that they were leaving Soldier Field and moving to Indiana. But these Bears fans and even me in my 20s, I would have adjusted. And it may have taken some time, but I would have adjusted. And I think there's a lot of people that will.
message for you 262 have you been to indiana grody it's exactly like green bay i hope the bears board chokes on their meal when they meet to dine in north indiana's uh world i don't know what the rest of it says but just the tone the tone people are very angry and some people are very happy and i understand both sides of that yeah guys i just want to warn you on our text line it cuts it off and sometimes they're out of order we cannot get gifts and we can only get the heart and the baseball emoji
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