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 Sunday at 10:23 AM2 days 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 yesterday at 01:35 AM1 day 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 22 hours ago22 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.

A few things seem to be coming together.

#1: The Sox want to build a new ballpark outside of Bridgeport. If they wanted to stay in BP, it would be really easy to come up with a plan in the old ballpark + parking footprint.

#2: They seem to want to be as close to downtown as possible. They are very intensely working to create space south of the financial district, with Ishbia going to work acquiring an old rail yard with tons of work needed to do to get it to the state for a ballpark.

#3: Because of the complexities of this deal, and the dance that needs to be taking place between Amtrak and the Sox, this is NOT going to be cheap. There was talk of Ishbia paying for a stadium, and undertaking a project like this with a ballpark at it's center seems to confirm that idea. Maybe they try to get some money for the state, but I have to image they would rather own this, and then create the ballpark village as the real profit center long term for the ownership group.

#4: With the FIre across the river, the ballpark village concept makes more sense, as you now have another professional franchise in the area with all of those dates worth of people to come to the area for the village and games.

#5: None of this will be done by the time the lease is up. Looking at the timeline, this could well be lining up with Ishbia taking over the Sox. I imagine they will sign a short term lease extension to get the park done, and then the village construction takes place after the opening of the park in the early to mid 2030's. Was the timeline for the ownership transition aligned to take place with the new ballpark? Stay tuned.

Has anything been written about the price of real estate in the loop absolutely cratering? People much smarter, wealthy and in the grift than I have to be working that angle. I'm not sure a footprint could open but it would be interesting to redevelop the Loop with this.

I feel like this thread has become a twisted version of Homer chasing the pig.

If you know, you know

1 hour ago, Harry Chappas said:

Has anything been written about the price of real estate in the loop absolutely cratering? People much smarter, wealthy and in the grift than I have to be working that angle. I'm not sure a footprint could open but it would be interesting to redevelop the Loop with this.

The problem is the connected spaces in the loop are much smaller. I am pretty sure you would need to consolidate multiple blocks to make that happen. The only actual space I can think of is the old post office if they were willing to build on top of the overpass.

2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

A few things seem to be coming together.

#1: The Sox want to build a new ballpark outside of Bridgeport. If they wanted to stay in BP, it would be really easy to come up with a plan in the old ballpark + parking footprint.

#2: They seem to want to be as close to downtown as possible. They are very intensely working to create space south of the financial district, with Ishbia going to work acquiring an old rail yard with tons of work needed to do to get it to the state for a ballpark.

#3: Because of the complexities of this deal, and the dance that needs to be taking place between Amtrak and the Sox, this is NOT going to be cheap. There was talk of Ishbia paying for a stadium, and undertaking a project like this with a ballpark at it's center seems to confirm that idea. Maybe they try to get some money for the state, but I have to image they would rather own this, and then create the ballpark village as the real profit center long term for the ownership group.

#4: With the FIre across the river, the ballpark village concept makes more sense, as you now have another professional franchise in the area with all of those dates worth of people to come to the area for the village and games.

#5: None of this will be done by the time the lease is up. Looking at the timeline, this could well be lining up with Ishbia taking over the Sox. I imagine they will sign a short term lease extension to get the park done, and then the village construction takes place after the opening of the park in the early to mid 2030's. Was the timeline for the ownership transition aligned to take place with the new ballpark? Stay tuned.

Hmmm, could be.

On 4/19/2026 at 11:46 AM, southsider2k5 said:

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.

And as they say location, location, location. A well-designed ballpark and the surrounding stadium district could be a huge success based on its proximity to downtown. It also will be accessible to the River North area via water taxi.

I wonder if they could add Metra platforms on both the west end (BNSF) and east end (Rock Island) of the sites for game-day train stops. It's probably not worth the added cost as they can provide shuttle buses for short pre and post-game rides to the Metra terminals. The BNSF line now has a 10:30pm express train to Downers Grove and beyond on Saturday nights. That could be attractive to fans in the DG/Lisle/Naperville area.

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by 77 Hitmen

4 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

A few things seem to be coming together.

#1: The Sox want to build a new ballpark outside of Bridgeport. If they wanted to stay in BP, it would be really easy to come up with a plan in the old ballpark + parking footprint.

#2: They seem to want to be as close to downtown as possible. They are very intensely working to create space south of the financial district, with Ishbia going to work acquiring an old rail yard with tons of work needed to do to get it to the state for a ballpark.

#3: Because of the complexities of this deal, and the dance that needs to be taking place between Amtrak and the Sox, this is NOT going to be cheap. There was talk of Ishbia paying for a stadium, and undertaking a project like this with a ballpark at it's center seems to confirm that idea. Maybe they try to get some money for the state, but I have to image they would rather own this, and then create the ballpark village as the real profit center long term for the ownership group.

#4: With the FIre across the river, the ballpark village concept makes more sense, as you now have another professional franchise in the area with all of those dates worth of people to come to the area for the village and games.

#5: None of this will be done by the time the lease is up. Looking at the timeline, this could well be lining up with Ishbia taking over the Sox. I imagine they will sign a short term lease extension to get the park done, and then the village construction takes place after the opening of the park in the early to mid 2030's. Was the timeline for the ownership transition aligned to take place with the new ballpark? Stay tuned.

That timeline certainly fits with team sale window (2029-34), which on its own seems kind of odd.

If I had to guess on ballpark location, I'd say they're planning to put it just south of the Fire stadium on the 78 with the Amtrak land being used for a stadium district and parking as @soxfan18 illustrated earlier. This would allow them to get going on ballpark construction sooner since, as you pointed out and as mentioned in the latest presentation slides, it would take years to move Amtrak's facility and clear the tracks from their current yard such that we're looking at 2030 at the earliest to being construction on the west side of the river.

And yeah, the Fire surely would be more than happy to have the Sox join them in this development. They only play 17 home games a year and the new MLS schedule actually has the league on an off-season break from June to mid-July, which is about half of the summer.

It's hard for me to wrap my mind around the amount of money involved here from the Ishbias in addition to what they'll be paying for the franchise itself. But then again, some other billionaire is about to plunk down $3.9B to buy the Padres whereas the Ishbia brothers are "only" paying about $2B for the Sox. So, it's not unrealistic to think that the Ishbias are planning to privately-finance a new stadium with state money being used for infrastructure work.

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by 77 Hitmen

6 hours ago, soxfan18 said:

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.

You don't know anything more than the rest of us. I was only making a suggestion as someone who has been familiar with that area and knows the White Sox and our fan base for a long time. The bridge idea is more complicated than it appears so I will wait for more information as to how that might work.

On the Bears stadium front, IL lawmakers plan to add an amendment to the proposed PILOT bill to include a property tax relief provision for IL homeowners. Kam Buckner says discussion on funding to transition Soldier Field to a post-Bears era is "part two" of this discussion and not part of the PILOT bill.

Chicago Sun-Times

Lawmakers sweeten pot to keep Bears in Illinois, with sta...

The Bears continue to weigh whether to build a stadium in Arlington Heights or Northwest Indiana. A new property tax relief element to a measure that would allow the Bears to renegotiate their propert

1 hour ago, 77 Hitmen said:

That timeline certainly fits with team sale window (2029-34), which on its own seems kind of odd.

If I had to guess on ballpark location, I'd say they're planning to put it just south of the Fire stadium on the 78 with the Amtrak land being used for a stadium district and parking as @soxfan18 illustrated earlier. This would allow them to get going on ballpark construction sooner since, as you pointed out and as mentioned in the latest presentation slides, it would take years to move Amtrak's facility and clear the tracks from their current yard such that we're looking at 2030 at the earliest to being construction on the west side of the river.

And yeah, the Fire surely would be more than happy to have the Sox join them in this development. They only play 17 home games a year and the new MLS schedule actually has the league on an off-season break from June to mid-July, which is about half of the summer.

It's hard for me to wrap my mind around the amount of money involved here from the Ishbias in addition to what they'll be paying for the franchise itself. But then again, some other billionaire is about to plunk down $3.9B to buy the Padres whereas the Ishbia brothers are "only" paying about $2B for the Sox. So, it's not unrealistic to think that the Ishbias are planning to privately-finance a new stadium with state money being used for infrastructure work.

It does change perspective when he is paying off debt AND buying the team AND paying for a stadium AND paying for a ballpark village...

1 hour ago, tray said:

You don't know anything more than the rest of us. I was only making a suggestion as someone who has been familiar with that area and knows the White Sox and our fan base for a long time. The bridge idea is more complicated than it appears so I will wait for more information as to how that might work.

We all have access to the presentation. The south end of the property will be 'Phase 2', the last thing developed, according to that.

4 hours ago, soxfan18 said:

We all have access to the presentation. The south end of the property will be 'Phase 2', the last thing developed, according to that.

SF18: If the presentation you are referring to is the one that that includes a small depiction of a fan going toward one of the two bridges, yes I have seen that. I have read quite a bit about those bridges, at least enough to have some idea about what a massive project it would be to use those bridges or the area under the elevated tracks there for another purpose. It seemed to me that for many reasons, including some I mentioned earlier, it might make sense to locate the stadium at 18th and Canal, roughly where you have the #2 on your drawing. As far as acquiring another parcel, it's just money.FYI, I put quite a bit of time and thought into this plan before expressing my opinions, including that the old RR bridges are rather unsightly.

There is nothing wrong with an Owner or Developer to consider the opinions of fans and others. For those old enough to remember, that was NOT part of the process that Reinsdorf and Einhorn employed when they decided on the plan for GRate, including the robin's egg blue seats, white truss work, stucco exterior.... and of course no surrounding entertainment area, no retail, residential or commercial development or anything but parking surrounding the park.