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

[35thstreetswarm]

4 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Oh they did.  Even sticking Illinois with a bigger bill is a win to them.  Plus they get all of the free publicity.

I guess.  I'm not sure "look at us, we scraped and begged and threw taxpayer money at them...and they still rejected us!" is something I'd send to the tourism board marketing guy.  Indiana is to the Bears as the White Sox were to Manny Machado.

Edited Wednesday at 09:39 PM by 35thstreetswarm

[southsider2k5]

9 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

I guess.  I'm not sure "look at us, we scraped and begged and threw taxpayer money at them...and they still rejected us!" is something I'd send to the tourism board marketing guy.  Indiana is to the Bears as the White Sox were to Manny Machado.

NO way.  Indiana absolutely intended to get the Bears if the Bears were willing to go, at a price better than Illinois was willing to pay.  Illinois was the one only willing to spend a certain amount to get the Bears to stay.

[35thstreetswarm]

9 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

NO way.  Indiana absolutely intended to get the Bears if the Bears were willing to go, at a price better than Illinois was willing to pay.  Illinois was the one only willing to spend a certain amount to get the Bears to stay.

Yeah - but still not a winning PR message to be the publicly desperate party that still failed (if that ends up happening).

[southsider2k5]

14 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

Yeah - but still not a winning PR message to be the publicly desperate party that still failed (if that ends up happening).

The message is they will do whatever it takes to attract business.  Illinois is losing that battle right now.

[35thstreetswarm]

10 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

The message is they will do whatever it takes to attract business.  Illinois is losing that battle right now.

Yep.  Illinois will continue losing that battle (thank god).  And may still get the Bears.

[77 Hitmen]

5 hours ago, Kyyle23 said:

 

While this is encouraging, I'll be assured of this when there's an official announcement from the Bears and specifically George McCaskey.    There are two things that can still scuttle any deal:   

The first is Kevin Warren who last time IL announced progress, responded by cancelling their next meeting so that he could make a bombshell announcement about Indiana.   I'm not going to underestimate his ability to generate more drama and derail any progress made. 

The second is Chicago lawmakers who seem to be of the attitude that any business that goes outside the city limits may as well just go and leave the state altogether because "it ain't Chicago".  Maybe the enticement of making state funds available to help transition Soldier Field to a post-Bears era will get them on board.  

Edited Wednesday at 10:30 PM by 77 Hitmen

[Sleepy Harold]

 

[Ducksnort]

6 minutes ago, Sleepy Harold said:

 

I hope we don't have to go through this s%*# when it becomes the Sox turn for a new stadium. This is exhausting.

[southsider2k5]

1 hour ago, Ducksnort said:

I hope we don't have to go through this s%*# when it becomes the Sox turn for a new stadium. This is exhausting.

The White Sox stadium should be paid off by then which fixes the Bears biggest problem with the state

[77 Hitmen]

7 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

NO way.  Indiana absolutely intended to get the Bears if the Bears were willing to go, at a price better than Illinois was willing to pay.  Illinois was the one only willing to spend a certain amount to get the Bears to stay.

I'm surprised there has seemed to be no pushback from Lake and Porter Co. residents for the proposed 1% increase in the food and beverage tax to pay for a Bears stadium.   If IL were quickly passing a 1% tax on groceries for Cook and DuPage County residents to give the McCaskeys a sweetheart stadium deal, I wouldn't be happy with that.   I'm not going to fault IL officials for refusing to match that.

Edited Thursday at 05:33 AM by 77 Hitmen

[77 Hitmen]

4 hours ago, Ducksnort said:

I hope we don't have to go through this s%*# when it becomes the Sox turn for a new stadium. This is exhausting.

 

3 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

The White Sox stadium should be paid off by then which fixes the Bears biggest problem with the state

It depends on how much Sox ownership is willing to pay for the stadium itself.  They'll have to privately fund most, if not all of it.  If they're counting on public money for the stadium itself (not infrastructure), they aren't going to get it and they'll be at Rate Field long-term.

If the Ishbias want to bankroll a stadium at the 78, i'd like to think approval would go through as quickly as it did for the Fire.  But, this is Chicago we're talking about.  

[Kyyle23]

6 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

I'm surprised there has seemed to be no pushback from Lake and Porter Co. residents for the proposed 1% increase in the food and beverage tax to pay for a Bears stadium.   If IL were quickly passing a 1% tax on groceries for Cook and DuPage County residents to give the McCaskeys a sweetheart stadium deal, I wouldn't be happy with that.   I'm not going to fault IL officials for refusing to match that.

The score had a guest on yesterday who is a columnist that’s been following this, and he said the taxes and toll raises to accommodate all of this were gonna piss off a lot of NW Indiana residents 

[Snopek]

17 hours ago, ptatc said:

Yes, its a political win for Indiana showing how they are trying to help the economy in the area with no real risk.

I’d say it’s more of a win for the residents who are no longer on the hook for $1 billion in public funding.

[77 Hitmen]

3 hours ago, Kyyle23 said:

The score had a guest on yesterday who is a columnist that’s been following this, and he said the taxes and toll raises to accommodate all of this were gonna piss off a lot of NW Indiana residents 

Definitely.  Plus the 5% increase in the hotel tax if I'm not mistaken.  I'm surprised the hospitality industry isn't complaining about that.

Jackson Co, Missouri voters rejected a 3/8th cent sales tax for Chiefs and Royals stadium funding.   But a 1% food tax for the Bears sailed through the IN legislature.  

Like others said, if the Bears do end up landing in AH, it'll be a win for everyone.  IN working class taxpayers won't see their grocery bills go up, IN elected officials still got to embarrass IL, and the Arlington Park site is a great fit for the Bears.

[Lip Man 1]

Placed this here because it talks about how the Braves environment made them a lot of money last year:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7070967/2026/02/25/atlanta-braves-annual-revenue-report-surging-finances/?source=athletic_thewindup_newsletter&campaign=16987985&userId=602876

 

[southsider2k5]

12 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

I'm surprised there has seemed to be no pushback from Lake and Porter Co. residents for the proposed 1% increase in the food and beverage tax to pay for a Bears stadium.   If IL were quickly passing a 1% tax on groceries for Cook and DuPage County residents to give the McCaskeys a sweetheart stadium deal, I wouldn't be happy with that.   I'm not going to fault IL officials for refusing to match that.

Mostly because The Region is very liberal, and the state legislature is a GOP supermajority, and they don't give a s%*# about what we think.  

[ptatc]

2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Mostly because The Region is very liberal, and the state legislature is a GOP supermajority, and they don't give a s%*# about what we think.  

The reverse of illinois. The minority of the geographical area doesn't care what the majority of the geographic area thinks.

[77 Hitmen]

It looks like any updates on the Bears stadium saga will have to wait a few weeks.   The IL House committee advanced the mega projects bill, but now the assembly is adjourned until March 18.  IN's governor signed their stadium bill into law yesterday, but it looks like the Bears are willing to wait until the IL recess is over next month.

https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-bears-news-illinois-indiana-lawmakers-taking-stadium-bills-thursday/18652916/

[WBWSF]

8 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

It looks like any updates on the Bears stadium saga will have to wait a few weeks.   The IL House committee advanced the mega projects bill, but now the assembly is adjourned until March 18.  IN's governor signed their stadium bill into law yesterday, but it looks like the Bears are willing to wait until the IL recess is over next month.

https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-bears-news-illinois-indiana-lawmakers-taking-stadium-bills-thursday/18652916/

People have short memories. The person who said that George Halas would turn over in his grave if the Bears move to Indiana is full of crap. Halas was one of the cheapest owners in the NFL and sports. He would have taken the best deal offered to him.

[77 Hitmen]

On 2/21/2026 at 4:42 PM, GreatScott82 said:

There is a one-year lease extension club option through 2030, which seems increasingly likely the longer the Sox delay making a stadium decision.

 

After looking at the Parcel 78 map that Tray posted, it doesn’t appear there is much remaining space for a baseball stadium to be built there. Wasn’t the original intention to also develop an entertainment village around the ballpark? If the Sox have to share that parcel with the Fire, it would significantly limit many of those possibilities.

 

Building a new park on the site of the original Comiskey Park would be very cool. However, what happens to the current stadium? Since the state owns it, I doubt they would support demolishing it unless Ishbia offered a substantial payout to the State of Illinois? Has something like that ever happened before? 

 

On 2/21/2026 at 5:41 PM, kba said:

There will still be space for a ballpark, but I'm not sure how extensive the "ballpark village" could be.  

 

 

Getting back to this question, though it may enrage anyone on SoxTalk who is apparently monitoring my post count, I found this article from last June a couple of weeks after the Fire made their stadium announcement.  

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/mlb/chicago-white-sox/could-chicago-fire-fc-white-sox-stadium-projects-share-south-loop-site/3770673/

“There is a lot of room at the site,” David Baldwin, Fire FC’s President of Business Operations, told NBC Chicago’s Lexi Sutter. “Obviously we are the anchor tenant, (and) we’re really excited to catalyze this development. If it makes sense once our stadium is open for one of the other teams, if it makes sense at that point we are open to having a conversation down the road.

and

Related Midwest had said in a statement last year that they were “actively exploring the co-location of dual stadiums” for the two teams.

It might not leave a lot of room for a sprawling entertainment district, but probably enough to have some development there.  The riverfront and close to downtown location perhaps outweighs the need to create some sort of sprawling "White Sox Village" development like they'd need to do at a suburban location or even on the parking lots of the current stadium.   

 

Edited 22 hours ago by 77 Hitmen

[77 Hitmen]

28 minutes ago, WBWSF said:

People have short memories. The person who said that George Halas would turn over in his grave if the Bears move to Indiana is full of crap. Halas was one of the cheapest owners in the NFL and sports. He would have taken the best deal offered to him.

Yes, but it's not just about the most money either state is going to throw at them.  It's also about which site offers the most potential for generating revenue streams and franchise valuation for the Bears.  It looks to me like McCaskey still sees AH as the best location for that.  Otherwise, this would all be over - the IN offer clearly bests the IL offer in that they'd be chipping in $1B toward the stadium itself.  But that means saying goodbye to that massive 326 acre site at a prime location for development.  

My guess:  If IL pushes through their legislation in the spring session without much delay, the Bears will take that and have earthmoving equipment ready to go at AH.  If IL dicks around some more and fails to get a package done this spring, the Bears will tell them to drop dead and sign on to the IN deal.  

....and yeah, Papa Bear would do the same thing.  He was trying to get out of Soldier Field shorter after the Bears moved there in the early 70s.  

Edited 21 hours ago by 77 Hitmen

[DoUEvenShift]

19 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

 

Getting back to this question, though it may enrage anyone on SoxTalk who is apparently monitoring my post count, I found this article from last June a couple of weeks after the Fire made their stadium announcement.  

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/mlb/chicago-white-sox/could-chicago-fire-fc-white-sox-stadium-projects-share-south-loop-site/3770673/

“There is a lot of room at the site,” David Baldwin, Fire FC’s President of Business Operations, told NBC Chicago’s Lexi Sutter. “Obviously we are the anchor tenant, (and) we’re really excited to catalyze this development. If it makes sense once our stadium is open for one of the other teams, if it makes sense at that point we are open to having a conversation down the road.

and

Related Midwest had said in a statement last year that they were “actively exploring the co-location of dual stadiums” for the two teams.

It might not leave a lot of room for a sprawling entertainment district, but probably enough to have some development there.  The riverfront and close to downtown location perhaps outweighs the need to create some sort of sprawling "White Sox Village" development like they'd need to do at a suburban location or even on the parking lots of the current stadium.   

 

I hope its not too late if the Sox get in to get the north part of the lot. If the Fire are taking up the north half I think that would remove most of the skyline view for our park. 

[KennyPowers]

30 minutes ago, DoUEvenShift said:

I hope its not too late if the Sox get in to get the north part of the lot. If the Fire are taking up the north half I think that would remove most of the skyline view for our park. 

The north parcel is gone. Ya snooze ya loose. Thanks Jerry. If Ishbia wants the south parcel it’s his to build upon. I think the Fire stadium would be low enough to not affect the view. The angle might even be better from the south parcel.

[77 Hitmen]

4 hours ago, DoUEvenShift said:

I hope its not too late if the Sox get in to get the north part of the lot. If the Fire are taking up the north half I think that would remove most of the skyline view for our park. 

 

4 hours ago, KennyPowers said:

The north parcel is gone. Ya snooze ya loose. Thanks Jerry. If Ishbia wants the south parcel it’s his to build upon. I think the Fire stadium would be low enough to not affect the view. The angle might even be better from the south parcel.

I assume you meant to type south part of the lot.  Looking at the rendering below, it doesn't appear to me that a Fire stadium would block much of the skyline view.  I don't imagine the soccer structure would be any taller than the top of the upper deck of the Sox stadium and most of that view is blocked by the scoreboard in LF with a Mets player on it. 

And yeah, it'll be up to Ishbia.  If he wants to privately finance a new stadium there, it'll probably get done.   Only time will tell if that's what he wants to do.   

Edited 16 hours ago by 77 Hitmen

[DoUEvenShift]

1 hour ago, 77 Hitmen said:

 

I assume you meant to type south part of the lot.  Looking at the rendering below, it doesn't appear to me that a Fire stadium would block much of the skyline view.  I don't imagine the soccer structure would be any taller than the top of the upper deck of the Sox stadium and most of that view is blocked by the scoreboard in LF with a Mets player on it. 

And yeah, it'll be up to Ishbia.  If he wants to privately finance a new stadium there, it'll probably get done.   Only time will tell if that's what he wants to do.   

I thought the initial renderings that came out had the stadium on the north end of the lot. Regardless, I'd rather be the 1st stadium there rather than working around whatever the Fire ends up doing.