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

[46DidIt]

2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Like I said at the beginning,  Indiana will sacrifice pretty much anything to win this 

What are they are sacrificing here? The wolf lake building site? Wow

[southsider2k5]

4 minutes ago, 46DidIt said:

What are they are sacrificing here? The wolf lake building site? Wow

Billions of dollars.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

5 minutes ago, 46DidIt said:

What are they are sacrificing here? The wolf lake building site? Wow

Their residents tax dollars.

[77 Hitmen]

43 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

The tax dollars being applied to debt payments are a tax on ticket and hotel sales right now.  No idea what happens if the team leaves.

Yes, that's my point.  They'll still need to rely on the hotel tax to pay down the Soldier Field debt regardless of what the Bears do.  Trying to make a AH stadium contingent on the Bears paying that off only to have them cross the state line does nothing to reduce that debt.  The way I see it, the Bears hold all the leverage here.  

Since I believe the Bears would much rather built in AH than in Hammond, the state could probably squeeze some debt payment out of the Bears, but it looks like they've overplayed their hand.  It looks like the Bears are done dealing with "sticking points" in the IL legislation and they could officially sign on to the IN offer by the end of this month.

Edited Thursday at 07:18 PM by 77 Hitmen

[77 Hitmen]

2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

And no amount of sad little laugh reacts to substitute for lack of substance changes that.

There are plenty of pros and cons to be discussed for all projects,  but some of this just wanders in the personal and bizarre. 

Yeah, constantly using the laugh emoji against everyone is pretty weak and sad.  In another thread he even gave a laugh emoji when I said I enjoyed bringing my kids to the Fundamentals area at Sox Park when they were growing up.  That's uncalled for and border-line creepy.   

He's on my ignore list now.  It's the first time I've used the feature because I am not here to shut out people who have differing opinions, but I draw the line at personal attacks.  

This thread has obviously morphed into a catch-all discuss on stadium issues - including the Bears and other MLB and NFL teams and I'm not going to be bullied into not participating in it.  In fact, the personal attacks make me want to post here even more.  🙂

Edited Thursday at 07:19 PM by 77 Hitmen

[nitetrain8601]

2 hours ago, Harry Chappas said:

If we are looking at areas that need revenue generating activity in NE Illinois, the SE side of Chicago and SE suburbs could use an influx of development.

If I am only looking at Chicago proper, Hammond makes much better sense to me than AH.  Events in AH can be centered around AH, while events in Hammond can be driven through Chicago, if Chicago figured out how to properly work and improve the offerings.

Why the original McCormick place is still in existence is mind boggling until you realize it is Chicago.  Millennium and Grant Park  are wasted opportunities as well as the loop circles the drain.

That last paragraph hits the nail on the head. Problem is, politicians in this state first look after their pockets being filled before doing anything for anyone else. Wasted land be damned.

[77 Hitmen]

10 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

-The Chicago White Sox game day experience is documented as one of the worst in baseball.  That isn't just one rando's opinion on a message board, but the opinion of pretty much anyone who partakes baseball on a multi-team level, as the Sox routinely rank in the bottom 3 or 4 in MLB in these categories.

-If you have any kind of crowd at Sox Park, they do restrict access to the lower level, so no, you can't just "walk around" the whole park unless the circumstances are right, or you pay for a more expensive ticket.  Also I yearn for the day when the Sox game is important enough to stay in your seat for, versus paying that kind of money to wander around the ballpark.  

-The whole line about "fans who want to continue drinking... can just get in their car" is a wild statement in a day and age of OWI laws.  The whole idea is to NOT have to drive drunk.

-We have been over the remediation stuff a million times, so I am not sure why it keeps coming up, but all of this stuff has been known, literally since this site shutdown.  I have no idea why you treat it like some kind of earth shattering occurrence, but within a city like Chicago,  there are so many Superfund and Brownfield sites, it would make your head spin.  Remediation of these sites isn't an abnormal thing, and environmentally it is a really good thing that it is happening, as it keeps that crap from leaching into the water table, Chicago River, and everything else around the site.  Everyone knew it would be expensive and extensive, and STILL people have made plans to build there, so it obviously isn't a deal breaker to everyone.

-Its the same thing with traffic patterns.  We keep getting told how horrible it will be, but again, they know what they are up against on this site.  Plus there are more things that can be done with public transit to access the site, as many major transportation hubs are much closer to here than 35th and Shields.   There is no reason that public transit can take on the lions share of what is basically a local fan base.  They do this at Wrigley Field with zero parking literally 81 times a year.  The New York teams handle this as well.  Ever notice there isn't a single parking garage around Madison Square Garden?  There will be WAY more parking here than any NYC based stadium.  This has all been factored in.

 

The A's have a new stadium under construction and the Rays appear to be on track to build a new stadium and entertainment district in Tampa.  The Royals are almost certainly leaving Kaufmann Stadium one way or another after the 2030 season.  

Unless any of those teams totally screws up their ballpark design, Rate Field will likely be ranked 29th or 30th by almost anyone outside the Sox fan base if nothing significant changes.  Which ballpark would rank lower?  It's a subjective question, but maybe Angel Stadium?  I've been there and it might be a wash between Anaheim and Rate Field.  Any others?  I'm not a big fan of Chase Field, so maybe that one?  But it's getting $500M in renovations, so perhaps it'll improve.   Sox fans might not like hearing that, but unfortunately it's reality when you get outside our fanbase bubble. All the ranting and raving in the world isn't going to make the situation better for the Sox.  

As been explained many times here, the 78 site has drawbacks too.  But the current park and location has been problematic for decades.  Something has to change.  Whether that's staying at Rate Field and building an entertainment district around it, building a new park across 35th St, or moving to the 78 is up to the new owners.  I'd vote for the 78, but it's not my billions that are going to be spent.

Oh, I (fortunately) now have unhinged responses to me blocked and can only see what was said about me through your quote.  So, let me set the record straight about his slander about my experience with my children. I have had seats in just about every section of the ballpark - 100, 300, 500 levels, Fan Deck, field level at the Bullpen Bar, even a skybox once.   What I was referring to in the other thread was that when I had my little ones with me, we'd leave our 100 level seats and I'd take them to play for a bit at the Fundamentals area while I continued to catch the game from the balcony up there.  Very pleasant memories.  Not as good a view as from our seats, but my kids were having fun and I was watching them and at the same time watching the game.  Priceless memories.  I wouldn't give up those moments up for the world.   Only a whack-job ( @tray ) would take my sharing this as some sort of slam against me worthy of an attempted insult.  What kind of total jackass would take what I shared and crap on it? 

Utterly pathetic. 

 

Edited Friday at 04:55 AM by 77 Hitmen

[chitownsportsfan]

The B1G really went from Kevin Warren to Tony Pettiti. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Sorry Bears, he's your problem now. We'll deal with Tony in due time.

[77 Hitmen]

1 hour ago, chitownsportsfan said:

The B1G really went from Kevin Warren to Tony Pettiti. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Sorry Bears, he's your problem now. We'll deal with Tony in due time.

Yeah, for a guy who was brought in to get a stadium deal done for the Bears, Warren sure hasn't help things.

[Chicago Cheapskate]

 

An idea for when the Bears remain the pride and joy of Illinois: 

https://www.facebook.com/chicago.cheapskate/posts/pfbid0J5vpUTTi6YFGbuP5YzfdK1CgU63MMqtWQ3bcHDj9gN628Nwmtz6hfm9W2UJfXJnpl?__cft__[0]=AZaLWVFTl-ZKbKctWsgTth1aNYQrZGSliN0HG3sFVoGUrwLbn0VabciexCleoWl9cbbKCeuVUp76guSHLOaNBNmKQ07cCFanYrx8Z9YTrW-ufQQxRrl66bh4Mdc5RCCYLoGRUMhNmxoIfrVqQaZXgefDu3fK-43ihGqQ3gmz_T3ntpEKAvPyhTa984EcHizu5aM&__tn__=R-R

[Harry Chappas]

11 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

Yeah, for a guy who was brought in to get a stadium deal done for the Bears, Warren sure hasn't help things.

I am not a fan of Warren but this is fully on the state of Illinois over playing their hand and then the Bears finally looking at Indiana.  

I'd guess Indiana is going to throw up a couple new Hammond casinos/hotels not as large as the AH entertainment project but decent enough to draw some Chicago folks and pull from the New Buffalo casinos.   

[hogan873]

It's funny that a Hammond stadium would be easier to get to for folks in the southern suburbs (and maybe even the city) vs. one in Arlington Heights.  However, it would just seem wrong to have a Chicago team playing in a different state.

I do think the state eventually caves and agrees to the infrastructure improvements for Arlington Heights.  The question is, will that be enough for the Bears to pivot back?  Illinois is playing a dangerous game and may lose...big time.

[nitetrain8601]

10 minutes ago, Harry Chappas said:

I am not a fan of Warren but this is fully on the state of Illinois over playing their hand and then the Bears finally looking at Indiana.  

I'd guess Indiana is going to throw up a couple new Hammond casinos/hotels not as large as the AH entertainment project but decent enough to draw some Chicago folks and pull from the New Buffalo casinos.   

This is what I expect as well. I know the Bears wanted their own sports book as well when this all started. I could easily see them build something like the battery in Atlanta, but upgraded. The question is, will stadium tour concerts end up there? Taylor Swift for example? 
 

it’s funny seeing some national media talking about this though. Like Rachel Nichols went off on the Bears calling them broke because they can’t stay afford to stay in IL. 

[nitetrain8601]

2 minutes ago, hogan873 said:

It's funny that a Hammond stadium would be easier to get to for folks in the southern suburbs (and maybe even the city) vs. one in Arlington Heights.  However, it would just seem wrong to have a Chicago team playing in a different state.

I do think the state eventually caves and agrees to the infrastructure improvements for Arlington Heights.  The question is, will that be enough for the Bears to pivot back?  Illinois is playing a dangerous game and may lose...big time.

I think the dangerous game was when Pritzker flat out told Warren that they didn’t plan to talk about the stadium at all in 2026 assemblies after the Bears waited 3 years and they were public in wanting shovels in the ground in 2025.

 

Pritzker overplayed his hand. If the Bears leaving gets the govt to reassess how they do business in this state, then it’s a long term win for residents. It just sucks they had to potentially lose the Bears to finally get a mirror up.

[ptatc]

6 minutes ago, hogan873 said:

It's funny that a Hammond stadium would be easier to get to for folks in the southern suburbs (and maybe even the city) vs. one in Arlington Heights.  However, it would just seem wrong to have a Chicago team playing in a different state.

I do think the state eventually caves and agrees to the infrastructure improvements for Arlington Heights.  The question is, will that be enough for the Bears to pivot back?  Illinois is playing a dangerous game and may lose...big time.

I don't think it will be easier to get to. The Metra drops us off right at Soldier Field. Unless they add a southshore stop there.

[nitetrain8601]

6 minutes ago, ptatc said:

I don't think it will be easier to get to. The Metra drops us off right at Soldier Field. Unless they add a southshore stop there.

It depends on where by Wolf Lake. My guess is they want it right off the Metra stop allowing people to walk to the stadium pretty easily from the SSL.

[ptatc]

13 minutes ago, nitetrain8601 said:

It depends on where by Wolf Lake. My guess is they want it right off the Metra stop allowing people to walk to the stadium pretty easily from the SSL.

That would be great if they can do that and keep it under an 800 meter walk or so.

[Falstaff]

If McCaskey moves the Bears to Indiana, I hope he sells Arlington Park to Ishbia and Justin can build a modern-day palace for the White Sox.

Edited Friday at 04:50 PM by Falstaff
typo

[ptatc]

4 minutes ago, Falstaff said:

If McCaskey moves the Bears to Indiana, I hope he sells Arlington Park to Ishbia and he can build a modern-day palace for the White Sox.

I like it. That would solve many issues for both.

[77 Hitmen]

2 hours ago, hogan873 said:

It's funny that a Hammond stadium would be easier to get to for folks in the southern suburbs (and maybe even the city) vs. one in Arlington Heights.  However, it would just seem wrong to have a Chicago team playing in a different state.

I do think the state eventually caves and agrees to the infrastructure improvements for Arlington Heights.  The question is, will that be enough for the Bears to pivot back?  Illinois is playing a dangerous game and may lose...big time.

I think the Bears would very much want to build in AH over Hammond.  That Arlington Park location would be such a great location for them.   If IL agreed to move the "mega bill" package forward with no more requests for concessions from the team, my guess is the Bears would take it.

But, time is running out, any more delays or requests for more from the team and they'll sign up with Indiana by the end of the month.  Yes, they're playing a dangerous game and IL officials could very well end up with egg on their faces.

2 hours ago, nitetrain8601 said:

It depends on where by Wolf Lake. My guess is they want it right off the Metra stop allowing people to walk to the stadium pretty easily from the SSL.

I believe the site is currently a golf course near Wolf Lake, near the Cline Ave exit from the Toll Road.   According to Google Maps, it's a 2.5 mile walk from the South Shore Line.  

For people driving in from the city, isn't there something like $10 in tolls between the Skyway and the Toll Road to get from the Ryan to this site?   I'm sure fans won't like that.   

For people driving from the SW suburbs (Tinley Park, Orland Park, etc.), what's the easiest way to get there?  You can't drive up from the south to the Skyway as far as I know.  Taking the Borman Expwy to Cline Ave and then circle back to the stadium location seems like quite a bit out of people's way.   I suppose you could take the Borman and then up Calumet Ave, but that's about 6 miles off the expressway

[southsider2k5]

13 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

I think the Bears would very much want to build in AH over Hammond.  That Arlington Park location would be such a great location for them.   If IL agreed to move the "mega bill" package forward with no more requests for concessions from the team, my guess is the Bears would take it.

But, time is running out, any more delays or requests for more from the team and they'll sign up with Indiana by the end of the month.  Yes, they're playing a dangerous game and IL officials could very well end up with egg on their faces.

I believe the site is currently a golf course near Wolf Lake, near the Cline Ave exit from the Toll Road.   According to Google Maps, it's a 2.5 mile walk from the South Shore Line.  

For people driving in from the city, isn't there something like $10 in tolls between the Skyway and the Toll Road to get from the Ryan to this site?   I'm sure fans won't like that.   

For people driving from the SW suburbs (Tinley Park, Orland Park, etc.), what's the easiest way to get there?  You can't drive up from the south to the Skyway as far as I know.  Taking the Borman Expwy to Cline Ave and then circle back to the stadium location seems like quite a bit out of people's way.   I suppose you could take the Borman and then up Calumet Ave, but that's about 6 miles off the expressway

NICTD is opening up a southern spur that is supposed to be really close.

[Lip Man 1]

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/chicago-bears-stadium-move-indiana/

[77 Hitmen]

1 hour ago, Falstaff said:

If McCaskey moves the Bears to Indiana, I hope he sells Arlington Park to Ishbia and Justin can build a modern-day palace for the White Sox.

I'd be shocked if the new owners moved the Sox to the NW suburbs - far from the heart of their fan base.  With the exception of sprawl cities like Atlanta and Dallas (Arlington), MLB ballparks way out in the burbs just don't work.  They may as well stay at 35th St than move there.  

Moving them to deep into Cub fan territory at a location that most fans would have to drive to by car 81 times a year (unless you live along the UP-NW line) sounds like insanity to me.  

Edited Friday at 05:59 PM by 77 Hitmen

[caulfield12]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/articles/gov-jb-pritzker-suggests-no-225300376.html

So either AH or Hammond...likely the fully financed public version.

[GreatScott82]

Who will be in charge of the next White Sox stadium decision?

Justin Ishbia theoretically cannot take over control until 2029. The White Sox lease at Rate Field expires after the 2029 season.

On average, it takes 30–36 months to build a stadium.

It would seem unwise for Ishbia to allow Jerry Reinsdorf to make a long-term stadium decision that will define the franchise’s future, especially if ownership control is expected to change shortly thereafter. Can Ishbia exert meaningful influence over this process now? Time is of the essence.

I also find it odd that we have not seen an updated rendering or a revised location strategy since the initial presentation at The 78 in early 2024.

Can we reasonably expect a formal stadium site announcement and new renderings during the 2026 season? Given the construction timeline and lease expiration, the clock is clearly ticking