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Illinois lawmakers took a significant step on Wednesday, moving forward with a bill aimed at facilitating “megaprojects” like the Chicago Bears stadium. The bill passed through the Illinois House and now awaits a vote in the Illinois Senate.
Below are updates and insights from earlier developments.
State legislators in Illinois are debating potential tax incentives for large-scale construction initiatives, with hopes of attracting the Chicago Bears to establish a stadium in Arlington Heights.
Behind-the-scenes negotiations were in full swing on Wednesday as Democrats dedicated hours to revising the “megaprojects” bill. These amendments are crucial to securing broader legislative backing, potentially allowing the bill to advance out of committee and reach a floor vote by Wednesday night or Thursday.
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State Representative Kam Buckner highlighted the urgency of these efforts, sharing that he worked late into the night, leaving the Capitol at 3 a.m. and returning by 6:30 a.m., all in a bid to push the bill through before the legislative session concludes on May 31.
Buckner said he was optimistic the “megaprojects” bill would go to the house committee for a vote Wednesday.
“We are in a decent spot,” Buckner said. “The conversations were good. We had a lot of positive feedback from my colleagues and we’ll see what today has in store for us.”
Delegations continue Wednesday as Illinois lawmakers race to get this deal across the finish line and determine the fate of the Chicago Bears.
The latest changes to the “megaprojects” bill are aimed at winning over lawmakers concerned about the long-term impact on regular taxpayers.
Sources said the Illinois Federation of Teachers is lobbying for language in the bill that would guarantee big developments won’t drain school funds.
“We know that we have seen a tremendous rise in property tax rates for people who live in this state,” Rep. Buckner said. “So what I said is, if let’s find ways to create some property tax certainty for corporations and developers, then we should do the same for the people who live in the state. And so this bill is an attempt to do that.”
After productive conversations Tuesday, Buckner said they would be filing an amendment Wednesday based on feedback. Then, it will be sent to committee, hopefully for a vote.
The Bears have owned the former home of the Arlington race track for more than three years now, but they have yet to put a shovel in the ground while they wait for a deal that allows them to negotiate potentially lower property taxes.
The Bears have said Chicago is no longer in the running, but they are still considering moving to Indiana where lawmakers there already approved an incentive deal for the team.
The Bears and the NFL are apparently willing to spend several billion dollars to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights. But without a firm commitment on the amount they’ll pay in property taxes, experts say they would be unable to get the financing they need. Arlington Park racetrack, the previous owner of the property, paid about $3 million a year in property taxes, according to stadium financing expert Marc Ganis with Sportscorp LTD.
“The Bears have said we will pay more than Arlington Park, but we need that amount to be capped in some mater so we can finance the project,” Ganis said.
Some state lawmakers are apparently on board with providing the Bears a deal to negotiate a plot or payment in lieu of taxes arrangement with the community and school districts. Rep. Buckner has been leading the proposed legislation through the Illinois House. He says the latest amendments help make sure the bill protects taxpayers.
“If we’re going to find ways to create some property tax certainty for developers we should do the same for the people who live in the state,” Buckner said. This bill is an attempt to do that.”
Specifically, updates to the bill would direct 50% of pilot funds go to property tax relief. The bill would also specifically prohibit pilot deals for data centers, which bring increased energy costs. The program and it’s incentives are reevaluated after five years. There are also additional incentives aimed at helping redevelopment of the South Loop rail yard that is under consideration for a new White Sox stadium, as well as other large scale projects in the state.
“We took our time to make sure we develop our twin obligations of getting this done and getting this right,” Rep. Buckner said. “And I think we’re there.”
Ganis says the Bears clearly favor Arlington Heights, but Hammond, Indiana’s deal comes with significant government support and no property taxes.
“The owners want to know what in the world is holding this up?” Ganis said. “And if things just don’t look right in Illinois, you know what here’s our nod, go ahead and finish it up in Indiana if you need to.”
In a poll conducted by Suffolk University in Boston, 56% of people said they’d rather see the team move to Arlington Heights, compared to 10% who prefer Indiana. Another 26% said they didn’t care either way.
If the Illinois House does approve the bill, there is still a long way to go. The Illinois Senate and Governor JB Pritzker have been working on the legislation for months, and they have not had a chance to review the latest changes to the House version of the bill.
The Bears are expected to meet with NFL leadership next week to share an update on their stadium search, adding more pressure for Illinois lawmakers to get a bill passed.
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