Braun on Chicago Bears advancing plans for Indiana stadium INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Plans for a new Chicago Bears stadium in Hammond are advancing rapidly. While Illinois officials, including Chicago’s mayor, maintain efforts to keep the team in their city, Indiana lawmakers, including Hous e Speaker Todd Huston, believe the Bears’ move is “a done deal.” Indina Gov. Mike Braun says he wouldn’t describe it as a “done deal,” mostly speaking from his experience as a businessman. But he did describe the deal, after years of negotiation, as “real, real close” to being final. Braun joined News 8 Sunday morning to break down the deal from start to finish. Fizzling talks in Illinois The timeline for discussions began six years ago, Braun says, though plans eventually stalled due to a lack of interest from both Chicago’s city government and Illinois state leaders. “The Bears reached out to their own state government and the city of Chicago. No interest,” Braun said. “It was pretty far out, but the conversation picked up again about three years ago.” Illinois lawmakers battled with their own Bears “megabill” until the very end of the legislative session. The megabill eventually fell apart on May 31, though lawmakers attempted to get a vote in on a new proposal that would allow Chicago and Arlington Heights to make their own stadium authorities. That last-minute legislation died in the Illinois House, which adjourned before voting on the measure. When asked what he believes contributed to the failed Illinois deal, he pointed to “legislative gridlock” and “bureaucratic hurdles.” “The city of Chicago sometimes doesn’t see squarely with the state government. I think that’s part of their issue of why they didn’t get a bill done.” In contrast, Braun praised Indiana’s approach. “We’ve moved at the speed of business,” he said, later adding, “The way we handled it as an administration, the legislature doing what they needed to do and doing it quickly — I think we made it possible.” Economic impact for Indiana Braun says the impact projections for northern Indiana are significant, describing the region as the state’s second-largest economic hub after Marion County, which includes Indianapolis. He pointed to the Indianapolis Colts’ success as a precedent for how sports franchises drive local growth. “Indiana is a sports state,” Braun said. “The Chicago Bears — one of the top iconic franchises — coming here will mean a lot to the state, especially the Region.” Braun highlighted Indiana’s competitive advantages over Chicago, citing lower property taxes, an AAA state credit rating, and a growing economy with low unemployment. He said those factors translate into greater value for stadium investment dollars. “They’re really calculating who looks like the best business partner over the next 50 years,” Braun said. “When you look at the logistics, it’ll be easier to get to Hammond. You’ve got a huge footprint to build a stadium and other amenities within it. It would be easier than fighting your way up to Arlington Heights.” Who’s paying for the Bears stadium? On financing, Braun said the Bears would contribute the largest share of the stadium’s cost, with property tax revenue serving as the primary local funding mechanism. He noted that Chicago’s higher taxes and budget challenges complicate similar arrangements there. “The Bears couldn’t get anything out of that complicated dynamic of a city like Chicago,” he said. “We put a deal out similar to what we did with the Colts. It will benefit from a ripple effect of economic development that will overcome all of that.” Clock’s tickin’ With the announcement’s embargo lifted last Friday, the deal reportedly crossed a critical threshold. Braun says there is now an urgency for both the team and the NFL to finalize their decisions. “This day was going to come. We just didn’t know when,” he said. “The clock now is definitely in play. The league wants to know. The Bears have to know. So we’re getting very close.” Indiana now awaits final confirmation from Bears ownership and the NFL. ...read more read less