77 Hitmen

IMO, if the South Loop stadium plan totally collapses, I don't think there's a better alternate location than just remaining at the current location. Not Michael Reese, not Solider Field and not the suburbs and certainly not NW Indiana. If they ended up staying at 35th St forever, then maybe Ishbia would try to redevelop the parking lots around Rate Field as a stadium district. But, I have my doubts that enough people are going to go out of their way to 35th & Shields on the 260 days a year the Sox aren't playing at home to keep a Ballpark Village full of bars and restaurants economically viable there.

Here's the Lou Canellis segment in question. I guess we can all read into his comment however we want. But, IMO he just threw in that Nashville mention at the very end based on rumors from a couple of years ago and was NOT claiming this was based on any inside info. BTW, Cannellis is very enthusiastic about this proposal and thinks it could be a gem of a ballpark and a great move for the franchise. But he also acknowledges the concerns of Bridgeport residents that should be addressed.

Darn, I was hoping to borrow it. 😆

Did you pull that from your home video library? 😉

I recommend people take the time to read this article. It really shoots down the idea that stopping the Amtrak project would mean this land would remain an unused railyard forever. In fact, what Union Pacific decides to do with those parcels after their merger goes through could be worse......and they wouldn't need any approvals to do it. It also gives a good background of what these railyards were used for until 2019. From the article: Three likely outcomes if Amtrak walks away 1. Union Pacific keeps it, and uses it more. This is the default and the most probable. UP continues to park empties and containers on the viaduct, and once its merger with Norfolk Southern closes — the Surface Transportation Board accepted the application for review in May, and the carriers are targeting mid-2027 — the combined railroad will for the first time own both the yard and the freight rights on the line that serves it. Today those are split between UP and NS, an awkward arrangement that helps explain why the yard has been a backwater. also in the article: What is not on the list: parks and residential .... The opposition's case has been argued as though the alternative to an Amtrak facility is the status quo of a mostly idle storage yard. The status quo is not on offer. Union Pacific idled the yard as a business decision in 2019; it can reverse that decision as a business decision at any time, and the arrival of a merger partner that already runs the freight on this line makes reversal more likely, not less.

then maybe it's time to get Chachi involved instead.

Ayyyyy, Mr. C !!!

Here's the interview in question. It's quite logical and not some earth shattering revelation - if Amtrak isn't able to relocate their maintenance facility out of 14th St, Ishbia won't be able to build a stadium on that site. This is a pretty good discussion. Nelson suggests, as @Mouthsider suggested earlier in this tread, if Amtrak agrees to conduct/release their environmental impact analysis, that would probably be enough to overcome threats to block this project. Seems like a no-brainer given that this site has already been functioning as a rail yard as recently as 2019. He also discusses the financing part of the stadium and how the low interest rate from the feds would help get this privately financed. They also mention who needs to approve any redevelopment of the Rate Field parking lots. In the end, I think this is the biggest threat to getting a South Loop stadium built. I'd say the chances of this failing are not zero, but at some point, Amtrak does want/need to upgrade their facility in a way that they claim can't be done at 14th St. Odds are good that something gets worked out somehow. Also, despite outrage from Bridgeport residents, it seems like overall reaction to the ballpark proposal has been very positive. But this is still Chicago, like I said, the chances that they'd kill a project that offers billions in private and federal investment are not zero. Look at how effectively Chicago politicians have (probably) killed a chance for a privately-financed Bears stadium in Cook County because "it's not Chicago."

There's always a good number of tailgaters in Lot G. I don't know about other lots because I always park in G. There's no doubt that tailgating is a thing at Rate Field, but i really couldn't tell you how many fans out of all attendees tailgate. If it's 1,000 fans - that looks like a lot of people in the parking lots, but if attendance is 25k, then that's only 4% of the fans. So, I'd guess it's not a huge % of fans, but it's probably a core group of diehards who attend many games. I don't know if there's a way to keep some amount of tailgating if they move to the South Loop. That would be ideal, but it would have to be scaled down since there's no way they're going to have 40 acres of surface lots like they have now. With so many transit options there, they'd have fewer drivers anyway. Not "no drivers", but fewer drivers for sure. You're absolutely right about the lack of things to do around the ballpark and that's a problem because many fans today are looking to do more than just drive in traffic, park, see the game, and then just go right back home. This isn't the 60s or 70s anymore.

Sox On 35thWhite Sox' proposed South Loop stadium move is bitterswee...Visit Sox On 35th for this and more White Sox news, commentary, and podcasts!

I hope so. The local backlash might be why they chose this time to release the ballpark renderings. Several of the politicians speaking out against this are running for Mayor. If one of them wins, they could put a stop to any infrastructure funding needed to redevelop the Amtrak site.

Didn't he promise that McCuddy's would be allow to rebuild next to the new stadium? I want to say that then they offered some land further away, the owner said no, and that was the end of McCuddy's.

Well said. People who think this need to get around more and travel to more MLB stadiums. The last Sox game I attended, I sat in the 100 level and people were perpetually walking up and down and sometimes even just standing in the aisles while the Sox were at bat and a player was at the plate being pitched to. I actually missed a Braden Montgomery HR because some due was just standing there talking to someone else blocking home plate for me while Braden was at bat. Whatever happened to fans waiting until in between innings or, if they're quick enough, in between at bats to get up and head to the concourse? Ya know, the Sox are in first place and have an exciting team. It's not like this is another 100 loss season where fans can't be blamed for not finding the game riveting. I'm not convinced that Sox fans are more uniquely into the game than people and that the in-game spirit is better at Rate Field than at other ballparks. And yeah, nothing says Rate Field is full of diehards totally into the game than huge groups of people doing the wave. And yeah, the concession lines are often sooo slowwww. It's not the fault of the workers, they just don't have enough people working there. This has been a problem for years.

By the way, the rest of that video about other abandoned bridge is pretty interesting too. It's not Sox-related, but fascinating stuff nonetheless. Also cool to see the South Branch Bridge being raised and lowered. The guy is obviously a big train enthusiast.

I know this will draw the ire of our resident rage-aholic and perhaps others who love the location, but having to drive to the park from the western suburbs can really suck sometimes. Oh, once I get to the park, parking is a breeze, but getting there? It can be a nightmare as traffic on 55 is perpetually shitty. 290 isn't any better. I drove to a Friday night game a few weeks ago and it took me something like 1 hour 45 minutes from western DuPage because traffic. Mass transit coming in on the Metra isn't great either because after the game, that means waiting on the red line platform for the next train, then at Jackson walking 20 minutes in the Loop to Union Station and hoping I didn't just miss the once-an-hour train by just a few minutes. If that happens, that means twiddling my thumbs at Union Station for close to an hour....that makes for a long commute home. I generally limit myself to Saturday and Sunday games because it's such a PITA to get to the ballpark on weeknights. But, to be successful, the Sox need to bring in fans more than just on Sat and Sun. Traffic still sucks on 55 on the weekends, especially on Saturdays, but at least it's tolerable. The ballpark also has psychological barriers to the east (Ryan) and west (train viaduct) that make it seem like an island from the surrounding neighborhoods. Is there anything worth going to south of the park across from the southern most parking lot at Pershing? That really only leaves to the north where it feels connected to the surrounding neighborhood.

This video talks about those two bridges beginning at about 13:00. And yes, I believe Amtrak has some long-term plans to use the St. Charles bridge if they ever get enough funding. But the B&OCT bridge goes nowhere and will never be used for rail again....so yes, if someone could get funding to repair it, perhaps it could be re-purposed as a pedestrian bridge. Otherwise, they'll need to build a new pedestrian drawbridge somewhere to connect the 78 with the Amtrak Yard development.

I know Ishbia needs to be vague about his intentions because Jerry still owns the team, but I'm curious about this from the Crain's article: Ishbia’s statement, meanwhile, said the stadium concept is “beginning a multi-month study and feasibility review evaluating a range of factors from transportation to environmental impact. If feasible, this plan could be presented to Chicago White Sox leadership for consideration as one of the team’s ballpark options when its current lease in the state-owned ballpark ends. Does anyone really believe that they'll complete this study in a few months and conclude that a stadium isn't feasible there and they're dropping this plan? I can't imagine he has gone this far into the process with buying land from Amtrak and BNSF without having a team of experts that has already studied the feasibility of this site.

The idea that the Sox belong only to the segment of the Chicagoland market that is south of, say, I-55 is absurd and short-sighted. That would mean the Sox truly are a small market team within the 3rd largest US market. Moving them to Arlington Heights or Rosemont would be stupid. I'd also agree that moving them to DuPage would mean they're no longer South Siders....even though Jerry and Eddie wanted to do it in 1986. But I doubt many fans are going to say that moving 2.5 miles due north of the current ballpark and yet still south of Roosevelt means they're no longer the South Side team.

There's also significant maintenance costs with a retractable roof to consider. The Brewers and D-Backs recently got $500M for what they said were critical infrastructure repair and upgrades. Much of that is for the roof and HVAC systems. Those ballparks are only 25 & 28 years old.

Isn’t the Quantum Campus being built on that site? At any rate, that location would be a disaster. At least Bridgeport is fairly centrally located. If they aren’t moving to the South Loop, then stay in Bridgeport.

They will no longer be called the Bridgeport White Sox......oh wait, what? Nobody calls them that now anyway? Never mind.

Reactions from Northwestern CEO Dr. Howard Chrisman, Ald. Ervin (whose 28th Ward includes the rail yards), and Mayor Johnson: "The South Loop presents an opportunity to create something bigger than a healthcare facility or a stadium. It's an opportunity to strengthen an entire community," said Dr. Howard Chrisman, president and CEO of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, in a statement. "When Northwestern Medicine invests in a community, we are investing in health, jobs, opportunity and Chicago's longterm future." Ald. Ervin: "I look forward to engaging with the White Sox, 28th Ward residents, and my colleagues in the City Council about a development that has the potential to create good-paying jobs for Chicagoans, improve our transportation infrastructure, and provide a long-term home for one of our city’s storied franchises. "At the same time, Chicago faces significant fiscal challenges, and any proposal must protect taxpayers and demonstrate that the public benefits justify any public investment. I will approach these discussions with an open mind and a clear focus on what is in the best interests of the 28th Ward and the City of Chicago." Mayor Johnson: "Mr. Ishbia and Mr. Chrisman committed to remaining in dialogue with the City as they work to engage and build support from community members, other local elected officials, and potential partners." "If this vision moves from concept to development, the City will facilitate the process for public review and approval in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, while centering the interests of all Chicago residents." FOX 32 ChicagoNew Chicago White Sox stadium renderings revealed for riv...A minority owner of the White Sox revealed new renderings of a possible stadium along the Chicago River. ABC7 Chicago'The Railyards:' New renderings show proposal for riverfr...A proposal to move the Chicago White Sox from Rate Field to a new riverfront stadium in the South Loop is drawing mixed reactions from fans and elected officials as the team considers the concept as a

That would be cool, but it'd be Metra's call, of course. Another potential train stop at the site is a Red Line station at the SE corner of the 78. This was shelved due to cost and neighborhood opposition. But, if the area gets totally developed with 2 stadiums, a medical campus, and residential high rises, that could be reconsidered.....though the Red Line stop at Roosevelt and State is only a few blocks away.

IMO, the whole class warfare thing when it comes to Cubs fans vs. Sox fans is either very dated or has always been a highly overrated stereotype. I know plenty of blue collar people who like the Bad Guys and likewise lots of college-educated white collar people who are huge Sox fans. In fact, I want to say there was a survey done years ago that showed the average income level between Cubs and Sox fans was pretty even. As far as the concern about fans being priced out, that's definitely a legitimate one. Prices would definitely go up at a new ballpark and they could price out some fans. But seeing as Jerry pushed the cheap seats all the way up to the 500 level at the current stadium to make way for 3 levels of luxury, it's not as if New Comiskey was a ballpark for the common folk. It was built with corporate clients in mind.