Gov. J.B. Pritzker says it would be ‘near impossible’ to get Bears stadium deal done this fall

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday said there is almost no chance that a deal will get done this year on a taxpayer-funded stadium for the Chicago Bears, especially since the team has yet to make a proposal that the governor thinks would be acceptable to lawmakers.

“I made it clear to the Bears leadership that it would be near impossible to get anything done — if there was a proposal put on the table that could get done, you couldn’t actually get it done, probably, during the veto session and would have to wait until next spring,” Pritzker said, referring to the year’s final legislative session in November, during an unrelated news conference in Chicago.

“But in reality, there isn’t a proposal on the table right now that would be acceptable to anyone that I know in the legislature,” he continued.

The governor and Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren met privately over breakfast for the first time in mid-June. Pritzker’s office at the time said the meeting was “cordial” without releasing many additional details.

In an interview last month with the Tribune, Warren said the summer and fall would be “ critically important ” for the stadium proposal. The organization failed to get a deal done during the regular Springfield legislative session this spring, which ended about a month after the team rolled out its stadium pitch with support from Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Pritzker in May called the Bears initial proposal for a multibillion dollar lakefront stadium “a nonstarter” and has repeatedly expressed his reluctance to use public funds to build private stadiums. On Monday, when asked whether he had called mayors or governors in other states about best practices for stadium financing, he said his stance remains essentially the same.

“I’ve done a lot of research on this topic,” Pritzker said, “But let me be clear: There isn’t much change.”

The domed lakefront stadium proposal from the team in April called for $2.3 billion in private financing and $1.5 billion in new borrowing that would require legislative approval. The Bears are also seeking $1.5 billion for infrastructure surrounding the stadium.

Taxpayers could end up paying at least $4.8 billion over four decades for the stadium counting interest and other long-term costs.

The Bears declined to comment on Pritzker’s remarks.