Illinois officials say Bears still may stay despite team’s Indiana statement

(The Center Square) – Although the Chicago Bears say the team’s board of directors moved to advance plans for a stadium in Indiana, elected officials in Chicago say conversations are ongoing to keep the team in Illinois.

Bears Chairman George McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement issued Friday that the board voted to advance the stadium development project in Hammond, Ind., with the exact site 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,” McCaskey and Warren stated.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office responded by saying the Bears have hindered their progress by shifting their position on a stadium location over the last six years and especially the last few months.

“Gov. Pritzker has always been clear that he wants the Bears to stay i...