(Photo credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)

The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for the site of their next stadium beyond the 326 acres they own in Arlington Heights, Ill., to the greater Chicago area that includes Northwest Indiana, president and CEO Kevin Warren declared Wednesday in an open letter released on the Bears' social media accounts.

Warren said that Arlington Heights remains the only place in Cook County that 'meets the requirements for a world-class NFL stadium.' While the Bears organization has made a commitment to invest over $2 billion in the new stadium and not asked for any taxpayer money to pay for the new stadium, Warren says state leadership has not made the necessary commitment for the infrastructure around the stadium (roads, utilities and site improvements) to make their project a reality.

Warren's open letter comes shortly after the Bears were told by state leadership that assisting the Arlington Heights stadium project 'will not be a priority in 2026, despite the benefits it will bring to Illinois.' It also comes just three days before the Bears host the Green Bay Packers in a nationally broadcast NFC North first-place showdown that ranks as the franchise's biggest game since last winning the division in 2018.

'Consequently, in addition to Arlington Park, we need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana,' Warren's letter said. 'This is not about leverage. We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County. We invested significant time and resources evaluating multiple sites and rationally decided on Arlington Heights.

'Our fans deserve a world-class stadium. Our players and coaches deserve a venue that matches the championship aspirations that they strive for every day. With that in mind, our organization must keep every credible pathway open to deliver that future.'

The Bears announced their intention to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights -- about 25 miles northwest of Chicago -- in September with no certain timeline but a desire to be able to host the Super Bowl in 2031. That came just 16 months after the Bears gained no traction on their announced plans to build a $4.7 billion domed stadium along Chicago's lakefront while requesting significant help from the city and the state.

They've played at the Chicago Park District-owned Soldier Field full-time since 1971, the second-longest active stadium tenure behind only Green Bay. The Bears long have desired to own their own stadium. In 1995, in an attempt to build leverage with Chicago, the Bears announced they were pursuing a move to Gary, Ind.

In October, the Bears sent a letter to Illinois legislators sharing that they would be setting aside $25 million for Chicago and the park district to use in order to repurpose the land where Soldier Field currently stands.

'We're proud to have recently hosted a productive meeting between the State, City and County and the Bears,' Cook County Board of Commissioners president Toni Preckwinkle said Wednesday in a statement. 'It was important for us to bring everyone to the table and have a conversation around making a serious commitment to keeping the Bears in Cook County and Illinois. We're shocked and disappointed that the Bears would discuss moving to Indiana at this time.'

--Field Level Media