Portage makes public pitch for Bears stadium

Portage, Ind., launched their pitch to the Bears on Wednesday, asking the team to call an audible and consider a rent-free stadium in their city.

Portage unveiled its proposal for “Halas Harbor,” a $5 billion project on a 300-acre site that would include a stadium that, per its hype video, would come “fully privately financed” with “zero taxpayer burden” and “zero debt on the team.”

The stadium would be provided to the Bears rent-free — it would be financed by Chicago businessman Lou Weisbach. A percentage of non-football revenue would then be used to pay off the stadium. Weisbach, who called into a press conference, called it the “financing plan of the future.”

Shovels could be in the ground as soon as June.

Portage mayor Austin Bonta told reporters the Bears were aware of the proposal. Weisbach said he looked forward to meeting with Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren and Indiana Gov. Mike Braun about it.

The Bears declined comment, though, just as they have when asked about other Northwest Indiana sites — both in Hammond and Gary. The Portage site along the Burns Waterway is the furthest away of the three. Bonta touted the ability to reach the stadium site via cars, trains and boats.

The Bears own 326 acres in Arlington Heights but want the ability to negotiate property tax rates and public funding for infrastructure. Frustrated with a lack of progress, they announced in December they’d consider building in Indiana, which created Senate Bill 27 to establish a stadium authority to finance a stadium.

Portage’s pitch might have come too late —Indiana’s legislative session ends Feb. 27.
Portage was the second municipality to pitch the Bears in as many days. Iowa politicians Tuesday proposed expanding a state economic development program to incentivize building an NFL stadium to support the Bears, a non-starter at Halas Hall.

Elected officials from the Northwest suburbs, including Arlington Heights mayor Jim Tinaglia, planned a rally Wednesday night in support of a mega projects bill that would allow the Bears to negotiate property tax rates.