Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Portage, Ind. hopes to lure Bears to build stadium as part of 'Halas Harbor'

Episode Date: February 11, 2026

Leila Rahimi, Marshall Harris and Mark Grote discussed how every city, village and municipality seems to be making a pitch to attract the Bears to build a new stadium in their area.

The score. Nobody has said anything to me from the Bears, but if Indiana comes with a sweetheart offer, which they might do in the next two weeks because their legislative session ends, and Illinois still hasn't dotted the eyes and crossed the tease on their thing, you know, the Bears could walk. Do I know that for sure? Could it just be leveraged? I don't know.

But everything seems to indicate that it's like 50-50, and Hammond is a serious contender. This is Rahimi Harris and Brodia. 443, the score. That was Fox 32 reporter Parish Shuts talking about the Bear Stadium developments. And yesterday, I got sent to my email and I was all excited because I was like, mail time. I got a letter, a press release from our friends in Portage, Indiana. And they said there was going to be a press conference at noon on Wednesday, February 11th, which is today. And it was going to be unveiling plans for,

something called Hallis Harbor not Hallis Hall Hallis Harbor Do we need like dramatic music for that? I don't know I felt like it I didn't do it a good enough job I don't have enough bass

I feel like it needs to be like fun music it's like a water park it sounds like a water park Come on now to Halas Harbor! I don't think it's action point you know the Johnny Knoxville Jackass movie What is the music?

Isn't there an amusement park in Indiana? There's always fun in Indiana. Isn't there a water park? Well, there's the dunes. Those look pretty neat. Yeah, the dunes are fun. I do want to go to those. But yes, leaders in Portage, Indiana made a pitch for a new Bears stadium. And the concept is called Hallis Harbor. And they sent us a video. So we get to play for you now. Is it bad? Oh, sorry. No, go ahead. Before we play the video. No, I was just going to ask, is it bad the first time I heard the words, Hallis Harbor. I thought of like a six flags ride where there were bears themed

things going on, but it's a water ride and you're going around and getting wet, like every time you go down and splash. That's what I think of. This is the music right here. How dare you do that to the Cubs? By the way, Grody, you are thinking of Deep River Water Park. That's in Indiana. Is that it? There's always fun in Indiana. I think that's

I don't know if that's the same slide. Come on down here. Come on our double slide. That's it. Some of the roller coasters that they're really Bears. It's like Luke Getz's offense and the ride just sits there. Was that the Great American music that you were playing right there? That was, okay. Vanga Boys. Vanga Boys. You remember Kyle Tucker answered those really awkward questions during the Vanga Bus song? I think that you might have been off that day. Oh, that was in the background. Yeah. But yes, you are correct, Grady. That is when Six Flags had the old man as their like mascot.

That was the music. Oh, and here's the answer to what I was attempting to sing. It's Indiana Beach. I think that's the song. The theme that I was singing, there's always fun in Indiana. I believe it was Indiana Beach. Multiple textures have now said that. So Hallis Harbor would just be added to the mix. I still want to go to the Dudes. I'm just going to put that out. Maybe not now. Like today's probably not the best day. But yes. So without further ado, the pitch for Hallis Harbor. You, the Chicago Bears, have an opportunity to call an audible. For years, you've been searching for an execution-ready site with the space to build Not just a stadium, but the elevated experiences your team and your fans deserve,

designed to your exact specifications, expanding Bears' fandom on your terms. A venue designed to rival the most advanced immersive environments in the world, built to host Super Bowls, global events, and the biggest moments in sport and entertainment. And bigger than that, over 300 acres to activate, this will be an entire city, purpose built as an immersive bears destination where sport, culture, and entertainment converge every day of the year. Welcome to Hollis Harbor. Right here on the Chicago Land Shoreline, a fully privately financed site, zero taxpayer burden, zero debt on the team, zero compromise. Our offer to the Bears is to use this rent-free.

Set minutes from major highways, a dedicated rail service, and the shoreline itself designed for arrival access and safety the capital is ready the land is available now shovels can be in the ground as soon as June 2026 the only variable left is the decision to move forward it's a destination with its own identity its own gravity and a future worthy of the bear's legacy when you're ready to act there's nothing standing in the way halis harbor your destination awaits. Now I must admit, this video was very well produced and edited.

Well, apparently, when you've got billions and billions of dollars at your disposal, what's a little video? Because I heard zero tax burden, zero team debt. Now, you add those two things up and tell me, where is the money coming from from the stadium? Is there a private financier that

I am unaware? Do they have a whale that they are waiting to go ahead and finance the whole project? Explain that to me. And if so, are they single? No. Right. Because is it a fairy godmother? Yeah, this is...

Because if it's not public money and it's not the bear's money, then whose money is it? And I'm talking about the neighborhood of $5 billion here. More than that when you're throwing the infrastructure because I don't think portage is ready for that type of... And as one of our callers mentioned,

the remediation of the land as well. So... So... Where's it coming from? How? How are they doing this? Does it matter? Does it matter at this point?

Absolutely. We all. How they're doing it? Because they're not going to get them. If there is a money source that has that kind of funding, yes, I'm 100% asking. This is why I would say to this gentleman, I would say even if you're not going to put a bearish, even if this doesn't happen, shot in the dark, can we come there and hang out? It sounds great. It really does. And to put a cap on it too, oh, I just, yeah, they're the.

the Indiana song that I was attempting to come up with. Grody, it's, there's more than corn in Indiana at Indiana Beach. We slowly patched it together. That's what it is. Am I correct? Can we confirm that? That sounds familiar. See, I blew the lyrics.

Everybody was texting, there's more than corn in Indiana. I was like, yeah, okay, yes. Also, because I didn't know why. There's more than corn in Indiana. My entire reaction to this video and this production and this idea of portage is summed up by 719 on the text line. This pitch sounds like a pharma commercial side effects are nausea and death. Okay, so theoretically, theoretically, I guess that there would be tax incremental funding

that maybe Indiana has set aside to make something like this happen. And perhaps that is a bridge to this, but is it a $5 billion bridge? Well, you know, we'll just start building that bridge and then we'll add on as we see fit. Can I share what stood out to me about this whole production, this whole video from the city of Portage, Indiana? It was this part. Shovels can be in the ground as soon as June, 2026.

What? How? How? We've heard that before. We've been hurt in the past by shovel promises. We've also gotten snazzy production. Remember when the city of Chicago used Chicago broadcast icon Bill Curtis

in the video about like stay, I think it was, the whole thing was to keep the bears in the city of Chicago. Was that at that presentation? I should remember since I was there. I think so. I think I fell asleep during the prayer. I ain't that's what happened. Oh, that's the day.

The prayer. You're not supposed to admit to falling asleep in church. Oh, yeah. I thought you were a religious, man. You fell asleep during the prayer. Well, you know, I was a Catholic person who did grow up and still goes to church occasionally. Your mind will wander during a 50-minute Catholic Mass. That's 10 Hail Mary.

I don't mind. Tell you what. The devil's workshop. Let me tell you about Hail Mary. Let me tell you about the Our Father. That's a prayer right there. The nuns would have loved you. Let me talk about the Lord's prayer.

But does anybody know where this money is coming from? Because I needed to make sense. Not to kill the vibe or anything. They might have it buried somewhere in Portage. You know, they used to have cash buried somewhere in Indiana Beach. So here's a quote. Here's a quote from Portage Mayor Austin Bonta. And excuse me if I don't, if I got that wrong.

Bonta, Banta. Austin. Bears. Bears. Bears. That's his name. And this is a, this is Dremont Terry from Channel 2 reporting this, CBS. He says, we also have a partner who's available to offer a financial deal to finance the stadium so that they will be able to utilize it rent free at no cost to the taxpayers and at no cost to the bears. Is it the devil? Like what? Like, who'd you make a deal with? Mr. Mesistophiles himself. we have a partner Donvino Corleone Thank you

Like what This is a movie Who's the benefactor? Who's the financing Is it like Landman Where you realize You're doing a deal with somebody But you deal with it after

Because you already drilled for the wells And then you turn Turns out it's your enemy I just That was the plot of Landman I don't think it can be the press release I want to know I shouldn't even want to know

Because you're right Grody Ain't nothing happening In Portage Indiana at the end of the day, but I'm still super curious as to what the plan is. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I'd like to go, honestly, whether they build a stadium or not. He's like, who is this person

that has all this money that they're that I partner up with? And I want the gentleman who narrated the production to be our host. Because he sounds like he is delightful, and he would be able to show us all the cool places. I want the guy that did the voiceover to be the guy funding this whole thing.

That's what I want. That'd be amazing. 847, Mark Cuban. He is the benefactor of Indiana football. That's the other part. Isn't he too busy paying for the Dallas Mavericks because they're re-buying the Dallas Mavericks? Oh, that is a whole... That's a whole other story. Yeah, I know the details.

The Adelson money and the whole background of it. What? Gambling's not coming to Texas? If the Bears seriously... Why did they think that was even a possibility? Sometimes you got to know your environment, know your audience. I mean, I was joking about making a deal with the devil. I would never say that on the air there.

They would think that I blast beam the mold. Would the cults be pissed if the bears actually did build a stadium in Indiana? With the Pacers? Yes. I mean, there's anything they could do about it other than just be angry? Why funny, you should ask that question, Mark Grady? Because we have audio from Cam Buckner referencing the side effects of that very thing. Well, well, well.

Yeah, in fact, he talks about just the ramifications that exist due to the bears wanting to do this. Hey, hey, mine out of the gutter. You fell asleep in church. I said rams. You said ramifications. I said ramps. Naples, Indians, they've been looking for an upgrade for their baseball stadium. They may have something to say about this as well.

I mean, we saw that happen here. Don't you remember when everybody got on board? Because all the teams were like, oh, you're giving away public money. We deserve some. We deserve some. We deserve some. And everybody made their case. The soccer team.

The Red Stars. Were the Red Stars? Yeah. The Reds. Yeah. They're like, And they also made a very valid case as to why they deserve that public money. What about us?

Yeah. And that's just smart business. Like once you find out that that's available for teams, they're going to do their job and ask about it. Which is why I'm like, wait, you have a benefactor who is, as I understand, you know, I guess we haven't ruled out a guy like Jeff Bezos or something like that. I'm just naming billionaires at this point. But you have a benefactor who somehow makes this all make sense.

My whole thing is that there's a billion out there trying to make something happen. It's called buying an actual team. That's the point. Yeah. That's how billion. air's work. They're not sitting here. Oh, I want to open up a center and have, no.

I just don't. Why would you not say who it is if this is all public? Maybe that person wants to remain anonymous until something is secure. We have a partner. Well, who's the partner? It just makes me think, Layla, that it's just, the reason I'm not as intensely wanting those answers is because I just don't think any of this is serious at this point. And fair enough, but as somebody who just is naturally curious, I'm like,

Oh, yeah, no, I'm just giving you. like where I'm coming from and maybe that could help you to understand that they're not serious about it. So they're not going to reveal or actually have a 10-part plan. They're as serious as one of those high school kids who says, oh, yeah, my girlfriend, she doesn't go here. She goes to, you know, that's why you've never met her. That's what it's giving, right? The girlfriend did it. Right.

Right. Yeah, that's why this is so confounding to try to figure out here. Well, what about, can we hear this? Can we hear the Kam Buckner? We actually got the report from WBDM's Mike Krauser if we want to take a listen to that. Even better. It's only like a minute or so, but it's a little reset for anyone just joining us on 104-3, the score, about this story. The city's proposal is essentially to create a new town on 300 acres near the lake.

It would be called Hallis Harbor, a stadium, residences, retail, and entertainment, says Mayor Austin Banta. We have the land. We have the water. We have the location. We have the financing and the local leadership ready to embark on a major development. It would be financed by Lou Weissbach, the CEO of the Stadium Capital Financing Group. He said it would be the stadium of the Bears' dreams. Here's the plan.

Essentially takes a specific number of seats for a specific number of concerts, not football games, and gives us the ability to provide all the capital up front, which is very important. The mayor believes it's an easier destination. to get to than Arlington Heights if you're traveling from downtown. There's also the train, and he noted you could come by boat and tailgate in the harbor. In Portage,

Mike Krauser, News Radio, 1059 WBBM. Thanks, Mike. Can I put it in football terms? Pass. I'm actually planning on going to Arlington Heights tonight because there will be a gathering there of officials

and just, I just want to hear what they're saying. putting your ear to the ground. Just, just, yeah. So I just, I just bring, there's all sorts of stuff fluttering about here. So what you're basically saying is we'll pay for it later. Isn't that the American way? That is the American way.

There's always money in the banana stand pitch. I got four credit cards right here. Pay later. Is there money in the banana stand? You have four credit cards? I think three, actually. Oh, yeah. The three card credit card system we're running right now, you know.

I have one. Got to keep the credit honest. Will Hellas, Hart. have bumper boats? I think that's a valid question. Bumper boats are fun. Lakes are fun. All right, I'm going to do some digging into this.