As the Chicago Bears continue to evaluate an Indiana stadium location, Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon is urging the organization to take a closer look at Country Club Hills, contending that the team may be overlooking one of the most promising development opportunities in Illinois while publicly entertaining the possibility of relocating to Hammond, Indiana.
Most of the attention this spring has focused on competing proposals from Arlington Heights and Hammond, along with the city of Chicago.
Gordon, who previously represented Country Club Hills and surrounding Southland communities as Cook County Commissioner for the 5th District, said she is concerned by reports suggesting the Bears could leave Illinois despite the availability of a viable, strategically located site within Cook County.
“Before they advance any further on a move across state lines, the Bears should take a serious look at what exists right here in Cook County,” Gordon said. “Country Club Hills offers many of the same advantages the organization is seeking — ample land, strong transportation access, development potential, and the opportunity to create a transformational destination for fans and the region.”
Gordon noted that she first presented the Country Club Hills concept to the Bears organization in 2023 and again last December. She believes the proposal deserves renewed consideration as discussions surrounding the team’s future intensify.
“I worry that in the conversation about stadium sites, the Southland is being overlooked,” Gordon said. “If the goal is to build a world-class facility that serves fans for generations while driving economic growth, Country Club Hills should absolutely be part of that discussion.”
Located within 30 miles of downtown Chicago, Joliet, Midway International Airport, and the Illinois-Indiana border, Country Club Hills sits at the crossroads of major transportation corridors and is adjacent to the Calumet Region, offering access to freight infrastructure, expanding transit service, and major highways.
Gordon pointed to the development of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, as a prime example of successful stadium development that could be replicated with a location in Country Club Hills.
In 2011, Inglewood faced bankruptcy after decades of decline.
The city pursued an ambitious plan to attract an NFL team and redevelop the shuttered Hollywood Park Racetrack into a 300-acre stadium and entertainment district, and the opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020 transformed Inglewood’s trajectory.
Now home to the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, the stadium spurred economic revitalization and repositioned Inglewood as a vibrant destination for sports, entertainment, and commerce within Greater Los Angeles.
“There’s no reason Illinois should lose the Chicago Bears when we have opportunities like this available,” Gordon said. “The Southland has the land, the vision, and the capacity to support a project of this magnitude while keeping the Bears where they belong — in Chicagoland.”
