Is “The 78” Dead? Or even more alive? Fire announce plans for SSS

[The Mighty Mite]

26 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

People under age 45 might not really appreciate how Wrigley wasn't always so widely adored and worshipped.  That changed in the 1980s with every Cubs game being broadcast nationwide to just about anyone who had cable TV and with Harry Caray as their drunken cheerleader.   

At least for many years after that, people could say Wrigley was an overrated dump and the Cubs were perpetual losers.  That changed when the Ricketts bought the team and poured hundreds of millions into renovating Wrigley and creating Gallagher Way to go with the night life that already existed in that neighborhood.  This has made the difference between Wrigley and the "there's nothing wrong with it" Sox Park surrounded by acres of parking lots even more glaring.  Plus, the Cubs are no longer perpetual losers who were a laughingstock on the field.   This all happened as JR took the Sox franchise into a downward spiral over the last 15 years.  

It is what it is.  Like you said, Wrigley's reputation isn't going anywhere.  The Cubs might have their ups and down on the field in the coming years, but I don't see them being perpetual basement dwellers anytime in the foreseeable future.   If the Sox want to start drawing more than just legacy fans while going up against the competition from the North Side Bad Guys, they'll really need to make some major changes on and off the field.  

You are so right, growing up in the 50s and even in the 60s, Wrigley was just another ballpark as was Fenway, they were considered no better than Ebbets Field or Crosley Field or Yankee Stadium and on and on, no one raved about them. If you asked people in Chicago back in those days most would have said Comiskey was the better ballpark, a lot of us thought Wrigley was sort of a joke with power alleys that were only 365 feet. 

[Lip Man 1]

25 minutes ago, The Mighty Mite said:

You are so right, growing up in the 50s and even in the 60s, Wrigley was just another ballpark as was Fenway, they were considered no better than Ebbets Field or Crosley Field or Yankee Stadium and on and on, no one raved about them. If you asked people in Chicago back in those days most would have said Comiskey was the better ballpark, a lot of us thought Wrigley was sort of a joke with power alleys that were only 365 feet. 

Very true and until the area became an upscale place for trendy young adults they were closing off the upper deck due to lack of attendance. Happened in 1983 for example. 

[The Mighty Mite]

58 minutes ago, The Mighty Mite said:

 

Edited February 12 by The Mighty Mite

[The Mighty Mite]

34 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Very true and until the area became an upscale place for trendy young adults they were closing off the upper deck due to lack of attendance. Happened in 1983 for example. 

In my youth in the 50s and 60s the upper deck was closed just about every weekday and only open on the weekends.

[NO!!MARY!!!]

8 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

People under age 45 might not really appreciate how Wrigley wasn't always so widely adored and worshipped.  That changed in the 1980s with every Cubs game being broadcast nationwide to just about anyone who had cable TV and with Harry Caray as their drunken cheerleader.   

At least for many years after that, people could say Wrigley was an overrated dump and the Cubs were perpetual losers.  That changed when the Ricketts bought the team and poured hundreds of millions into renovating Wrigley and creating Gallagher Way to go with the night life that already existed in that neighborhood.  This has made the difference between Wrigley and the "there's nothing wrong with it" Sox Park surrounded by acres of parking lots even more glaring.  Plus, the Cubs are no longer perpetual losers who were a laughingstock on the field.   This all happened as JR took the Sox franchise into a downward spiral over the last 15 years.  

It is what it is.  Like you said, Wrigley's reputation isn't going anywhere.  The Cubs might have their ups and down on the field in the coming years, but I don't see them being perpetual basement dwellers anytime in the foreseeable future.   If the Sox want to start drawing more than just legacy fans while going up against the competition from the North Side Bad Guys, they'll really need to make some major changes on and off the field.  

The first solution will be to move. They will never-repeat-never be on equal footing with the Cubs. They haven’t been in a very long time and won’t be in the foreseeable future. Everyone who is pinning their hopes on Ishbia being the Billionaire Savior of the franchise will go back to bitter, angry ranting when he doesn’t run the franchise any differently than it’s been run by Reinsdorf or Bill Veeck. 

[Ducksnort]

50 minutes ago, NO!!MARY!!! said:

The first solution will be to move. They will never-repeat-never be on equal footing with the Cubs. They haven’t been in a very long time and won’t be in the foreseeable future. Everyone who is pinning their hopes on Ishbia being the Billionaire Savior of the franchise will go back to bitter, angry ranting when he doesn’t run the franchise any differently than it’s been run by Reinsdorf or Bill Veeck. 

If by move, you mean out of Chicago, it isn't happening. I don't know why people think it's going to happen. It's not.

[77 Hitmen]

The first public hearing on the Bears property tax legislation is scheduled for this week.

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/bears-stadium-property-tax-legislation-hearing-illinois-general-assembly/

[77 Hitmen]

On 2/12/2026 at 6:39 PM, NO!!MARY!!! said:

The first solution will be to move. They will never-repeat-never be on equal footing with the Cubs. They haven’t been in a very long time and won’t be in the foreseeable future. Everyone who is pinning their hopes on Ishbia being the Billionaire Savior of the franchise will go back to bitter, angry ranting when he doesn’t run the franchise any differently than it’s been run by Reinsdorf or Bill Veeck. 

 

Edited February 17 by 77 Hitmen

[WBWSF]

8 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

The first public hearing on the Bears property tax legislation is scheduled for this week.

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/bears-stadium-property-tax-legislation-hearing-illinois-general-assembly/

I heard  that if the stadium is built in Arlington Heights the value of the Bears franchise will double.

[pcq]

Could have built a new stadium while the Bears were diddling oh look that's what the Bills just did lol. Open for business in July they say. 

[77 Hitmen]

2 hours ago, WBWSF said:

I heard  that if the stadium is built in Arlington Heights the value of the Bears franchise will double.

The value would certainly skyrocket, especially if the Bears would own that AH stadium instead of just being a tenant. 

Same is true of the White Sox, which is why JR wanted the state to build him a new Sox stadium and traveled down to Springfield a couple of years ago to (unsuccessfully) win support from lawmakers.  The franchise value would increase big time and that would further enrich the Reinsdorf family when it comes time to sell the team.   While Ishbia is still paying a lot for this franchise, it would be much more if the ISFA were building a publicly funded new stadium for them.

Edited February 17 by 77 Hitmen

[77 Hitmen]

24 minutes ago, pcq said:

Could have built a new stadium while the Bears were diddling oh look that's what the Bills just did lol. Open for business in July they say. 

LOL - yeah, and the taxpayers are paying $850M for stadium itself in upstate NY.   I can live with waiting a couple more years since the Bears are privately funding a new stadium if one is built in Arlington Heights.

[Sleepy Harold]

 

[tray]

On 2/12/2026 at 11:05 AM, The Mighty Mite said:

You are so right, growing up in the 50s and even in the 60s, Wrigley was just another ballpark as was Fenway, they were considered no better than Ebbets Field or Crosley Field or Yankee Stadium and on and on, no one raved about them. If you asked people in Chicago back in those days most would have said Comiskey was the better ballpark, a lot of us thought Wrigley was sort of a joke with power alleys that were only 365 feet. 

I watched Ernie's 500th home run on a black and white vacuum tube TV.  Same watching Brickhouse announce games at Comiskey.  After that the White Sox on UHF band with aluminum foil added to the circular antenna to try to get a better picture. Professional sports were just not a big deal for most people back then ....nothing like what we see today. 

[tray]

6 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

The value would certainly skyrocket, especially if the Bears would own that AH stadium instead of just being a tenant. 

Same is true of the White Sox, which is why JR wanted the state to build him a new Sox stadium and traveled down to Springfield a couple of years ago to (unsuccessfully) win support from lawmakers.  The franchise value would increase big time and that would further enrich the Reinsdorf family when it comes time to sell the team.   While Ishbia is still paying a lot for this franchise, it would be much more if the ISFA were building a publicly funded new stadium for them.

JR was encouraged to go down to Springfield by your friends at Related development for a project that would have netted them millions. Sorry Charlie, not going to happen.  Meanwhile at the proposed Fire soccer stadium site, environmental clean-up has commenced - 4-6 weeks of excavation with 30 trucks per day hauling contaminated soil, garbage and waste out of there. 

[77 Hitmen]

Environmental work to begin this week at the 78 in preparation for construction of the new Fire stadium, which is expected to start this spring.

https://abc7chicago.com/post/environmental-work-78-site-future-home-chicago-fire-soccer-stadium-south-loop-begin-week/18607090/

[tray]

Pepper is renowned in Chicago and around the world as one of the best commercial contractors for this kind of work. They will do everything they need to do to complete their end of the work on time. I just hope everything goes OK and they and others who work on this get paid. That was not the case for those who worked on the UIC development after they pulled out.  The City has restricted dump truck traffic to business hours. Not sure where those trucks are entering and leaving that site since I have not been down there recently. I am sure Pepper has cut and stoned ingress/egress driveways (to S. Clark street?) so that mud is not getting tracked everywhere. Very interesting project for those who like this kind of construction and are soccer fans. 

[southsider2k5]

9 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

Environmental work to begin this week at the 78 in preparation for construction of the new Fire stadium, which is expected to start this spring.

https://abc7chicago.com/post/environmental-work-78-site-future-home-chicago-fire-soccer-stadium-south-loop-begin-week/18607090/

This is a good thing, despite the belief of some.

[pcq]

22 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

LOL - yeah, and the taxpayers are paying $850M for stadium itself in upstate NY.   I can live with waiting a couple more years since the Bears are privately funding a new stadium if one is built in Arlington Heights.

I would imagine state income taxes from an NFL roster are fairly significant. Not a whole lot else going on in WNY except the falls. Thanks to Cuomo leaving as Hochul is from Buffalo and Goodell a WNY native as well. 

[tray]

1 hour ago, southsider2k5 said:

This is a good thing, despite the belief of some.

You intimate something that you just pulled out of your ass. I never said environmental remediation was not "a good thing." 

I did anticipate that it would be a costly and ambitious road to go down, and I was 100% correct.

[southsider2k5]

12 minutes ago, tray said:

You intimate something that you just pulled out of your ass. I never said environmental remediation was not "a good thing." 

I did anticipate that it would be a costly and ambitious road to go down, and I was 100% correct.

And yet, as I said, here starts an expensive project doing just that, with the end goal of a stadium going up on this site, almost as if that it can be done on the 78 site.

[77 Hitmen]

1 hour ago, pcq said:

I would imagine state income taxes from an NFL roster are fairly significant. Not a whole lot else going on in WNY except the falls. Thanks to Cuomo leaving as Hochul is from Buffalo and Goodell a WNY native as well. 

No doubt, as big as the Bears are, the Bills mean a whole lot more to the Buffalo region.   

[77 Hitmen]

1 hour ago, southsider2k5 said:

This is a good thing, despite the belief of some.

I wonder at what point it gets to the "put up or shut up" point for Jerry, Ishbia, and the White Sox if they indeed want to build a new stadium at the 78.  We haven't heard a word about their intentions other than Ishbia's offer to the Pope to throw out the first pitch at a new ballpark.

Once the Fire stadium gets underway, the south end of that property isn't going to sit undeveloped forever.  Plus, with each passing year, construction costs continue to skyrocket.   There's also the matter of the Sox lease at Rate Field expiring in 3 years and I highly doubt Ishbia wants to stay there long-term as he eventually assumes ownership of the team.

 

 

[77 Hitmen]

35 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

And yet, as I said, here starts an expensive project doing just that, with the end goal of a stadium going up on this site, almost as if that it can be done on the 78 site.

I suppose the narrative now will be that the north end of the site can support a structure like a stadium, but not the south end?   

[southsider2k5]

11 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

I wonder at what point it gets to the "put up or shut up" point for Jerry, Ishbia, and the White Sox if they indeed want to build a new stadium at the 78.  We haven't heard a word about their intentions other than Ishbia's offer to the Pope to throw out the first pitch at a new ballpark.

Once the Fire stadium gets underway, the south end of that property isn't going to sit undeveloped forever.  Plus, with each passing year, construction costs continue to skyrocket.   There's also the matter of the Sox lease at Rate Field expiring in 3 years and I highly doubt Ishbia wants to stay there long-term as he eventually assumes ownership of the team.

 

 

The public aspects of this are a lot less important if the park itself is self financed.  All you need from the state is potentially infrastructure and/or a property tax negotiation.