Related Midwest, the firm behind the Chicago Fire's new stadium and the massive South Loop megadevelopment known as The 78, unveiled the concept this week for the 200-acre property near 87th Street and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The site sits adjacent to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, a state-backed quantum computing campus under construction with $500 million in public funding.

"It's going to make our city better and it's going to make our state better," Related Midwest CEO Curt Bailey said.

Bailey said the company has spent months studying a redevelopment of the long-vacant industrial site and believes its lakefront location and transportation access could draw fans from across the region.

"You're going to be able to attract the core of Chicago to that site, and they can get there quickly, and it's on the lake," he said. "So, all of those great things make it the right place for the Bears."

Related Midwest describes the property as the only shovel-ready site of its size in the city, citing existing infrastructure, ample parking, Metra access, and room for boat docks and water taxis. The company said a stadium and surrounding entertainment district would generate thousands of jobs and position Chicago to host the Super Bowl, concerts, and community events. Construction is already underway at the adjacent quantum park and at a new Advocate hospital, the firm noted.

A video narrated by former Bears linebacker Lance Briggs makes the case for the South Side location.

The proposal lands at a delicate moment in the Bears' long-running stadium saga. The team has said its only current options are the former Arlington Park racetrack in Arlington Heights, which it purchased in 2023 for $197 million, and Hammond, Indiana.

In a statement, the Bears did not endorse the South Works idea but said they remain committed to building a stadium and mixed-use district. The team said it is finalizing due diligence on two sites in the Wolf Lake area of Hammond while also engaging with Illinois leaders on legislation.

"We have a responsibility and obligation to explore every option available to the club, and we look forward to developing a transformational project that will attract global events and deliver jobs and economic growth to all of Chicagoland," the statement said.

Bailey said the legislation taking shape in Springfield is "site agnostic," meaning it could accommodate a Chicago location. He said Related Midwest has been in talks with the Bears for months about the plan.

"Anyone we meet with thinks that this is the right place for them, and we believe that as well," Bailey said.

Related Midwest said a stadium could be ready for the 2032 season, though that timeline depends on legislative action and financing. Bailey acknowledged that the funding structure, including a possible public-private partnership, is still being negotiated.

On Friday, Gov. JB Pritzker confirmed that his staff met this week in Chicago with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren, Bears chairman George McCaskey, and Illinois legislative leaders to discuss potential stadium legislation.

"There is a bill that's being put together that gives the Bears the opportunity to choose where they want to build a stadium in Illinois, and then it's going to be up to them where it goes," Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference.

The governor said lawmakers aim to hold hearings during the first three days of the fall veto session, Nov. 17–19, with a possible vote during the second three days, Dec. 1–3.

Sports business expert Marc Ganis said the talks have centered on a bill that would allow a municipality, including Arlington Heights or Chicago, to create a stadium financing authority to help build a publicly owned stadium. Under that model, the Bears would finance construction while public funds would cover new roads and other infrastructure typically financed by the state for large-scale projects. A publicly owned stadium would be exempt from property taxes, as is the case with Soldier Field and the White Sox's Rate Field.

Other Chicago locations have also been floated, including a Bridgeport stadium concept circulated by a local architecture firm on social media.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun issued a statement Friday suggesting time is running short for the Bears to decide.

"Indiana has assembled an excellent deal to build a world-class stadium in Hammond, Indiana," Braun said. "We encourage the Chicago Bears to fully commit to a stadium in Indiana because it is nearly time for the state to shift its energy and resources to the next opportunity."

The South Works site, a sprawling former steel mill property that has sat largely dormant for decades, has long been eyed for redevelopment. A stadium there would represent a major investment in a South Side corridor that has seen the arrival of the quantum campus and new health care facilities, but community groups have previously pressed for guarantees on local hiring, affordable housing, and public access to the lakefront.

For now, the proposal adds another variable to a decision that state and team officials say could come together quickly — or slip away to Indiana.