On 4/6/2026 at 1:23 PM, 77 Hitmen said:

Oh, and I'm sure there will be people in the local media like Paul Sullivan or talk radio blowhards who will continue to take pot shots at any new Sox ballpark because it's not the Cubs and not beloved Wrigley. What people say online? Heck, people on social media are complete assholes about everything. But, if the Sox build a new ballpark that is well-designed and in a location that has more things around it that'll attract more fans AND the Sox start fielding a more competitive team, then what "people say" online or in the media isn't going to kill its success.

If a new park is built at the 78 it has to be a jewel like PNC park that our fans and the casual fan absolutely love and visitors to Chicago have it on their bucket list, it has to wind up at near or at the top of the list of the baseball park rankings. It should be so good that Wrigley would be a failure by comparison.

Edited yesterday at 10:23 AM1 day by The Mighty Mite

16 hours ago, soxfan18 said:

This is my guess based on everything I've seen. I know there's text that says 'Phase 1 is the ballpark' but that contradicts the renderings. Pure speculation on my part, just piecing things together:

• #1 - The entertainment district: Bars, restaurants, retail, a riverwalk, and parking

• Silver line - This would be the primary walking route from Roosevelt to the ballpark: The Riverwalk leading to the bridge.

• Yellow line - Cars would enter via 18th & Canal, keeping traffic coming from 90/94 west of the river and cutting down on some of the Roosevelt congestion concerns. Rideshare drop off could be down there, too.

• Red line - Bridge to the Fire stadium (the most speculative/made up thing here. I don't even know if it's possible, I'm no engineer)

• #2 - Phase 2 must be Ishbia's Northwestern Medical project I've seen mentioned a few times

Thanks for the illustration, that is helpful. What you summarize makes sense. Yeah, I'm not sure how feasible it would be to build a pedestrian bridge in the middle as you highlighted in red. Any bridge would have to be a drawbridge along that stretch of the river and wouldn't be as simple as ped bridges that we see everywhere across roadways. One of those new renderings suggests a ped bridge at the south end of the site at the St. Charles Air Bridge.

3 hours ago, The Mighty Mite said:

If a new park is built at the 78 it has to be a jewel like PNC park that our fans and the casual fan absolutely love and visitors to Chicago have it on their bucket list, it has to wind up at near or at the top of the list of the baseball park rankings. It should be so good that Wrigley would be a failure by comparison.

I agree. It'll need to be PNC/Oracle/Petco Park good.

I don't think anything they do will turn people against Wrigley at this point. But there's enough room in Chicago for two "must see" ballparks, especially a well-designed one with its own unique features - right up against downtown, along the riverwalk, accessible by water taxi, etc.

1 hour ago, 77 Hitmen said:

I agree. It'll need to be PNC/Oracle/Petco Park good.

I don't think anything they do will turn people against Wrigley at this point. But there's enough room in Chicago for two "must see" ballparks, especially a well-designed one with its own unique features - right up against downtown, along the riverwalk, accessible by water taxi, etc.

That feels like way too high of a bar IMO. There’s no reason it CAN’T be that good, but I don’t necessarily think it NEEDS to be.

It’s such a great site that I actually think it’ll be pretty hard to screw up.

2 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

I agree. It'll need to be PNC/Oracle/Petco Park good.

I don't think anything they do will turn people against Wrigley at this point. But there's enough room in Chicago for two "must see" ballparks, especially a well-designed one with its own unique features - right up against downtown, along the riverwalk, accessible by water taxi, etc.

There are so many quality pieces of Sox and Chicago history that could be chosen and incorporated into Sox Park that with some creativity you could build a gem. Plus if they can build an OF angle open to the skyline and build the entrance at the top of the 100 level, you fix a lot of the new Parks screw ups.

River Edge Lab ideas from the Rahm era.

https://www.chiriverlab.com/sites/railroad-bridge-edge

Airline Trail - Chicago River Edge Ideas Lab

An idea for the Air Line Bridge Edge from Studio Gang to help develop parks and public spaces for Chicago’s riverfront.

18 hours ago, tray said:

If the NE intersection of 18th and Canal could be acquired and a few train tracks re-routed, that would be a far superior location to the "78." That intersection is adjacent to the Schoenhofen Brewery Historic District which is on the National Register of Historic Places and one of the highest rated walking areas in the city (there is your "ballpark village"). Also, that would avoid any necessity to walk over a bridge to the "78" or the necessity to deal with Related or Auchi, who I believe is still the owner of that parcel. The shape of that parcel would work perfectly with a new park. The historic site would work well with a retro stadium with the arches and red brickwork reminding Sox fans of the iconic facade of Comiskey Park.

I understand the idea that the investors at Shore have about building a ballpark on the area that remains on the 78 while providing parking for fans on the East side of the river so fans could walk over the Airline bridge to get to the 78. I have walked over Michigan avenue bridge and other bascule bridges in Chicago hundreds of times but none of those with the big exposed counterweight.

IMO, I just don't see that plan making any sense whatsoever (practically, financially, aesthetically or otherwise), but I will defer to others who may have more knowledge and experience in these matters than I do and, of course, to the only person whose opinions really matter. Hate to see this happening after all my years as a White Sox fan. What Bulshit.

17 minutes ago, tray said:

I understand the idea that the investors at Shore have about building a ballpark on the area that remains on the 78 while providing parking for fans on the East side of the river so fans could walk over the Airline bridge to get to the 78. I have walked over Michigan avenue bridge and other bascule bridges in Chicago hundreds of times but none of those with the big exposed counterweight.

IMO, I just don't see that plan making any sense whatsoever (practically, financially, aesthetically or otherwise), but I will defer to others who may have more knowledge and experience in these matters than I do and, of course, to the only person whose opinions really matter. Hate to see this happening after all my years as a White Sox fan. What Bulshit.

The White Sox are dead last in MLB in total revenue. They trail the #29 team by about 20 percent. What doesn't make sense is to keep doing the same things they did to make them dead last.

9 hours ago, Snopek said:

That feels like way too high of a bar IMO. There’s no reason it CAN’T be that good, but I don’t necessarily think it NEEDS to be.

It’s such a great site that I actually think it’ll be pretty hard to screw up.

Challenge accepted!!

Joking aside, I see your point. Part of what puts many other ballparks in the elite status is location. Put Oracle Park in a part of SF without much to do around it, absolutely no exterior backdrop, and surround it with acres of parking lots and it's no longer an elite-level ballpark.

Edited 14 hours ago14 hr by 77 Hitmen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Charles_Air_Line_Bridge#/media/File:St._Charles_Air_Line_Bridge_May-2022.jpg

Not sure who posted an AI image with Sox fans walking across that ugly bridge - basically a bridge to nowhere.

A more sensible option would be to locate a proposed stadium at 18th and Canal adjacent to the Schoenhofen Brewery Historic District (outlined in blue) and avoid needing the bridge infrastructure or the 78 entirely.

There is no neighborhood connected to the 78 a vacant difficult to access lot for over 100 years. Conversely, a proposed 18th and Canal location would integrate with the lively arts and crafts Pilsen neighborhood and of course Chicago's Chinatown - South side neighborhoods that have been part of the diverse fabric of the South side for generations.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by tray

Ugly bridge to nowhere 🤣

Put a ballpark there, it won't be nowhere anymore.

Your location isn't even where they'll be building and creeps into the BNSF/Metra rail yard, which to this point there's no indication they're buying.