The Chicago Bears announced Friday that its board of directors voted to advance its stadium project in Hammond, Indiana.

The team had been deciding between building a new stadium in Hammond or on property they own in Arlington Heights.

“Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected,” Bears chairman and owner George McCaskey and president and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement. “We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”

The announcement is the latest turn in what’s been a five-year search for a new stadium.

It comes less than a week after the Illinois legislature failed to pass legislation that would help the Chicago Bears build a new stadium in Arlington Heights. The Illinois House and Senate each introduced bills to help the Bears build, but neither passed the other chamber. Legislators also announced that they would not meet for a special session during the summer.

Warren originally opened the possibility of moving to Indiana when he sent out an open letter in December stating that the team’s stadium search would include Northwest Indiana. Indiana’s legislature acted quickly, passing a bill at the end of February.

Indiana created a stadium authority where the Bears would put in $2 billion toward building a new stadium, and it would own the stadium, allowing the Bears to not pay property taxes.

Indiana’s offer also included $1 billion in revenue toward building a stadium. It would also pay for infrastructure improvements around the stadium district.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun applauded the news in a post on X on Friday shortly after the news.

“Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state,” Braun wrote. “We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the ’85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come. An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before.“

There’s been a higher sense of urgency to make a decision over the past half year.

Bears brass and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell initially said at the NFL’s annual meetings during the spring that they’d like to have a decision during the late spring or early summer between the two spots. They reiterated that point and that they’re only considering two locations recently, when Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson made an effort to keep the team on the city’s lakefront.

The Bears have played in Chicago since 1921, when they first played at Wrigley Field after moving from Decatur, Illinois. The team has played at Soldier Field since 1971, with a one-year stay in Champaign in 2003 during stadium renovations. It has a lease at Soldier Field that lasts until 2033, which can be broken earlier by paying a termination payment.

“The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location,“ Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said in a statement. “That has hindered their progress. Today appears to be another instance of that after Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith. Governor Pritzker has always been clear that he wants the Bears to stay in Illinois and still remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers.”

Friday was the latest shift of focus the Bears have made during their search. Their five-year search has had plenty since it started in 2021, when the team agreed to purchase the Arlington Heights propertyon the site of the former Arlington Park racecourse. There have been twists and turns throughout the process, including pivots back to Chicago before going back to Arlington Heights and now Northwest Indiana.

Now the Bears fans will wait to see whether the their team will officially make the move in the coming months or change directions once again.