As the Chicago Bears openly consider constructing a new stadium in Northwest Indiana, team officials say the franchise’s presence in Lake Forest will continue.
Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren told the Chicago Tribune earlier this week and reiterated in a Wednesday letter to season ticket holders that the team is exploring alternative stadium sites, including Northwest Indiana, amid stalled negotiations with the state of Illinois over financial incentives for a proposed stadium in Arlington Heights.
Despite the ongoing stadium discussions, the Bears’ Halas Hall headquarters will remain in Lake Forest, according to the team.
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“Halas Hall remains in Lake Forest,” wrote Scott Hagel, the Bears’ senior vice president for public and government affairs, in an email.
The Bears began practicing in Lake Forest in 1975, leading to the construction of the original Halas Hall at Lake Forest College in 1979. In 1997, the team opened the current Halas Hall at the Conway Park office complex, and the facility has since been expanded twice.
“The City of Lake Forest has had a longstanding partnership with the Bears for decades, and we look forward to that partnership continuing,” City Manager Jason Wicha said in an interview.
The Bears began hosting their summer training camp at Halas Hall in 2020, with practices opening to the public in 2021. Many Bears players and staff members live within close proximity to the Lake Forest facility.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.