CHICAGO (WOWO): The Chicago Bears have taken a major step toward relocating to Northwest Indiana.

The team’s Board of Directors voted Thursday to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, according to a statement released by the organization on Friday. The exact location for the proposed stadium has not yet been selected.

The vote marks the first time the Bears’ board has formally approved moving forward with a specific stadium development site.

In a statement, the team said, “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. 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 comes just days after Illinois lawmakers adjourned their spring legislative session without approving legislation that supporters hoped would help keep the team in Arlington Heights. The proposed measure would have allowed for a publicly owned stadium that would have provided significant property tax advantages for the franchise.

Hammond officials have expressed confidence in recent weeks that Indiana offers the strongest path forward for the Bears. Indiana lawmakers previously approved legislation creating a funding framework for a potential NFL stadium project in Northwest Indiana.

Governor Mike Braun welcomed the Bears’ decision to move forward in Hammond, saying, “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.”

The Bears had previously indicated they planned to make a stadium decision by late spring or early summer.