Mark Batinick

@DaWheels_1 @WindyCityCritic @52_peanut @WestSportsPT Also, not a single elected official or the Gov has denied the rate will be astronomical without an agreement. It’s been widely reported.

@WindyCityCritic @52_peanut @WestSportsPT All of this came from @mbatinick white paper. Your shilling for IL govt is wild

This isn't close to final but Illinois continues to bungle this. #DaBears were told they aren't a priority previously and the state keeps doubling down on it.

@DaWheels_1 @WindyCityCritic @52_peanut @WestSportsPT Yes. And the Tax Foundation came up with a similar number. No one is “asking” the Bears to pay that amount. It’s just the amount calculated when you use the going tax rate on a project that size. Illinois needs to intervene to address it.

Chicago Bears Stadium info… The framework of HB 910 is exactly that… a framework. Passing this bill does not equate to the Bears getting the deal they want but at first pass, the bones will highly benefit #DaBears. A property tax freeze that would last anywhere from 23-45 years depending on qualifications and maintaining of specific compliance. A deal that would set the assessment at a base year level without any of the improvements being developed. Residential developments would not qualify for those wondering if the full development would receive the same freeze. The biggest part of the bill would be allowing the developer (Bears) to negotiate with the local government on what they will pay in taxes throughout the freeze incentive. The PILOT part of the incentive is basically the negotiation part. Arlington Heights for example would negotiate payments in lieu of taxes. These are likely payments that will escalate over time, would be a fixed amount or could even include things in the agreement like a portion of revenue sharing for ticket sales/concessions. Those details would not be known and the Bears wouldn’t agree to anything in writing until that is all hammered out. At a minimum they will continue to pay the nearly $4mm in property taxes they pay on the vacant land site now. Consider that the base year. I would hope at a minimum AH requires either a much larger fixed amount (say $10mm+ per year) or escalating payments that increase over time. Something reasonable and fair for both sides - not $150-$200mm+ annually. Plenty more to dig into and more to the bill than property tax certainty (freeze). Thinking of doing a short podcast breaking it down. Not sure I have the capacity tonight though. A big step in the right direction if the finance committee passes it tomorrow, but this is nowhere near a done deal.

In this radio interview, I cover my current thoughts on the Bears stadium saga

Bears. Pensions. Property Taxes. #ILGov. Campaigns. .@pfingstenshow covered it all with @mbatinick: omny.fm/shows/pm-sprin…

@Dzikhead The commercial tax rate in AH is nearly 7% of market value. On a $3B project that’s $210M. Officials don’t go around predicting tax rates. You take the tax rate and multiply it by the property value. That’s it.

@mbatinick And? Illinois officials stated $200 million? Where?

If I see another person claim Illinois wants the bears to pay $200 million a year in property tax I’m giving up. People are too dumb

@black_42 @misko53 The Vikings pay $0 in property taxes. They are exempt. The Bears would end up with the highest property tax bill in the nation.

@misko53 865-1 million is the estimate. Plus Minnesota didn’t ask for 40 years tax freeze

I don’t even get into the stadium debate bs. But no way should Chicago hand over billions in Chicago tax payer money to an incompetent greedy billionaire family with minimum back to the people of the city

@Dzikhead Then nobody should have a problem putting it in writing. What’s the holdup?

@FishRevengeArc No, it’s not a done deal. There’s a lot of work to be completed for the Indiana site. Things like environmental studies and soil testing are important and hasn’t been done. But I’ve always said the only real site in IN was Hammond. Gary is too far.

@mbatinick You think it's basically a done deal? They are really moving to Indy?

IL politicians completely messed up this stadium deal. The Bears want to stay in IL and are doing something unusual - paying for their own stadium. The total investment in the area about $5B. Their asks are fair. A reasonable property tax bill that would

We are missing an opportunity to finally get a world class statement that could attract a Super Bowl, Final Four, major concerts year round, World Cup, Big Ten championship games, etc. These are significant new outside dollars that won’t be coming to the state.

around where we live. It doesn’t happen all at once because all the homes aren’t built all at once. Do you think there hasn’t been public money invested in the infrastructure around Wrigley Field over the last 100 years? Sewer, roads, train stops?

@FleecedByGetz This is a pretty good explainer video. The only thing I would quibble with is the tax amount. It would be much more than five times higher than Sofi Stadium.

For everyone that’s defending the state, please give this a watch.

Chicago Bears Stadium Situation... I have been covering #DaBears stadium situation since the beginning with a different view than most. My articles dating back to 2023 @BearGogglesOn about the property tax situation screamed red flags for the Bears, Arlington Heights and the state of Illinois. A path forward at the AH site seemed nearly impossible back then. Fast forward to Kevin Warren and the Bears shifting their focus back to the city. This seemed more likely to happen based on the property tax situation, but it still needed support from the state. It was not happening. It also would have been an awful deal for the Bears as we have already seen with the current Soldier Field situation. Fast forward again (we are now 3 years into the Bears owning the AH site) and now too many games had been played. Property tax certainty seemed very out of reach. Indiana steps in and lands a huge blow to Illinois' digging-their-heels-in approach. Whitepaper released by @mbatinick comes out around this time. I have the pleasure of interviewing him and we talk in depth about what needs to happen for the Bears to remain in Illinois. We both agree IN was a real threat and not just a leverage play. I come to the conclusion based on what I was hearing that it seemed like a 60/40 split (IN/IL) on how things would shake out. I was hearing that talks between the Bears and Illinois lawmakers were finally making headway. Mark Batinick deserves credit for bringing his whitepaper to the forefront as it seemed to help shift the narrative of what would truly happen should no legislature be passed. With the news that talks were positive and heading in the right direction, I felt like the AH site became the leader again - but only slightly - as the ball was still in the hands of Illinois lawmakers to get the Mega Projects Bill (or something similar) over the finish line. The State of the State Address comes out, and it felt like Pritzker was still not making the Bears stadium situation a priority for 2026. He was warned. Over and over again. The Bears wanted and needed to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible. This morning's meeting with the finance committee is put on "pause" or "canceled" - both sides saying different things. Almost simultaneously, Indiana lawmakers in the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved an amendment to SB27 that would help pave the way for the Bears to move to Hammond, Indiana. Not long after, the Bears announce their applause to Indiana for SB27 and how it is the most meaningful step forward in their stadium efforts. Seems almost certain the Bears made Illinois lawmakers aware that Indiana is the front runner—rightfully so! What happens next? Well, there is still an outside shot IL can get something done. Their legislative deadline for 2026 is not until May 31. Still seems like a long shot, and as it stands, my opinion has shifted to an 90/10 split in favor of IN landing the Bears stadium project. If being honest, the state should move forward with the Mega Projects Bill even if the Bears do move out of Illinois. The state cannot continue to lose big business due to ridiculously expensive commercial property taxes. As a Bears fan - I just want to see the Bears build an amazing stadium, generate a bunch of extra revenue, and continue to build a sustainable winning organization. As a STH - I was glad to hear the state push for the Bears to commit to more affordable prices for fans— whether that be tickets, concessions or both. At this point, I'm not sure I will renew should the team move to Indiana. It will come down to many, many factors. I'll finish with these thoughts: 1. The state of Illinois has embraced the true definition of "F around and find out." It will likely cost the state one of the NFL's most historic franchises. 2. Seeing the state of Indiana have 2 NFL franchises and Illinois/Chicago having 0 is going to be a sad day indeed.

@ChiRuxinBGO I agree with this 100%. 13 days between the championship round and the Super Bowl is fine.

What do we need to do to get the NFL to move the Super Bowl to a Saturday?

@WaddleandSilvy @shawlocalnews @bears_insider There’s so much misinformation by commenters here. I wrote this report specifically to combat it. It was covered extensively by WGN tv, ABC, the Trib and Herald. I recommend reading it to understand the full picture: drive.google.com/file/d/1W1DUkS…

If you want the #Bears to stay in state, it’s time for Governor Pritzker & our IL lawmakers to step up & get a deal done. The possibility is real & not just a leverage play. My latest on #dabears for @shawlocalnews & @bears_insider. Subscribe & read shawlocal.com/bears/2026/02/…

@Dzikhead taxfoundation.org/blog/chicago-b…. They came up with $210M

Things to consider when making up tax numbers for the bears stadium: Construction cost is irrelevant. Stadiums are not assessed at $2.5B cost. Stadiums are single-purpose, poor alternative-use assets. The market value will be based on revenue and cap rates and the like