Daily Herald opinion: ‘Another story’ on the Bears stadium: There is room for negotiation and lawmakers best not dally over taking advantage of it

If anyone thought Chicago Bears CEO Kevin Warren was bluffing last week about moving the team to northwest Indiana, that state’s governor was quick to demonstrate just how serious the notion could be.

Republican Gov. Mike Braun, with a newly signed Indiana law aimed at attracting and developing sports franchises in his hip pocket, took to social media to declare he is ready to work with the franchise on building a new stadium.

“This move would deliver a major economic boost, create jobs, and bring another premier NFL franchise to the Hoosier State. Let’s get it done,” he wrote.

That, it seems, is the “sense of urgency” Warren has been looking for in Illinois government, and it demonstrates a very real risk not just for the northwest suburban region but for the entire state of Illinois.

Perhaps most galling to Warren is what he considers a clear indication from Illinois lawmakers that they’re not going to give the Bears any serious attention for at least another year — after the November elections and after working through a difficult budget year.

“We have been told directly by state leadership, our project will not be a priority in 2026, despite the benefits it will bring to Illinois,” he complained.

If that indeed is the mood of the entire legislative and executive leadership, it validates the concerns of local officials who have been working for years to engage the Bears in a $5 billion stadium/entertainment/commercial project at the site of the former Arlington Park racetrack.

“I know what it’s like to be on the other side of the table when you’re trying to make a project happen,” Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia told our Christopher Placek. “I know how difficult and expensive it is. And if it becomes too expensive and too difficult, then the project dies. I’ve had that happen. The last thing I want to see happen is that Illinois loses. Illinois cannot afford to lose this.”

Gov. Pritzker, whose reluctance to provide easy handouts to the wealthy NFL franchise is well-documented, was less troubled. His spokesman called Warren’s threat a “slap in the face” and reiterated the governor’s stance that “the bottom line for any private business development should not come at the full expense of taxpayers.”

The issue here, of course, is not that the Bears are proposing a development “at the full expense of taxpayers.” Team officials have repeated that they are not seeking help paying for the stadium but want some measure of certainty regarding their property taxes on the construction and infrastructure to support the commercial portion of the proposal.

On that score, there would certainly seem to be room for negotiation - not capitulation, of course, but serious discussion - and it is perplexing that lawmakers are so unwilling to talk. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, described effectively the nuance that needs to be brought into the equation.

“There’s a sentiment — not just my view — but spending hundreds of millions of dollars of tax money on facilities for professional sports teams I don’t think is responsible,” she told Placek, then added, “Investments in public infrastructure on sites where sports teams might be located is another story.”

That is the story lawmakers should be paying attention to.

The Bears have explored the notion of moving to Indiana in the past, and the state’s business-friendly reputation and welcoming tone certainly suggest a “sense of urgency” that is no doubt music to Kevin Warren ‘s ears.

Knowing that, Illinois lawmakers would do well to fire up their own adrenalin as they prepare to begin a new legislative session in January.