Bears meet with NFL stadium committee — and plan to do so again in May

The Bears held a virtual meeting with the NFL’s Stadium Committee on Wednesday to provide updates on their potential sites in both Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana — and plan to meet again virtually in another two weeks or so, a source told the Sun-Times.

The only two stadium sites up for consideration are the 326 acres the team owns in Arlington Heights and the plot near Wolf Lake in Hammond.

The Bears also figure to give a stadium update at the NFL’s quarterly meeting May 19-20 in Orlando, though it’s unclear if they will have decided between the two sites by then. The team is preaching urgency in Springfield, where the House passed property tax legislation last week. The legislation must now pass the Senate, and the Bears want key revisions. The Senate adjourns May 31.

The quarterly meeting features owners from each team. Approval from league ownership — whether it occurs in May or at a later meeting — is part of the NFL’s G-5 funding program, which allows teams to borrow up to $250 million for stadium construction.

Vikings owner Mark Wilf chairs the stadium committee, which features, among other executives, Bears chairman George McCaskey.