1 minute ago, Mouthsider said:

I believe the St. Charles Air Line Bridge is still in use (sometimes). I read a piece forever ago about implications for Amtrak if they could upgrade it and get it fully functioning again. If so, I’m not sure if it could be of use for this development.

However, in the same piece, I became educated on the B&OCT Bridge, the abandoned bridge literally right next to it. That one’s been out of use for so long that it currently lacks a counterweight and doesn’t even have rails leading up to it. I don’t think any rail companies are interested in turning it back online again, either (CSX might own it? But it’s unusable in its current state). If Ishbia’s going to do a rail-to-trail conversion, he should go after that one. It’s a sleeping giant.

Definitely. I figured the St Charles bridge would difficult to acquire. They just recently fixed it after it being out of commission for 5 years. You can tell by aerials that there has been a little traffic on it.

I'd imagine that is in the works for the B&OCT bridge like you said. That's something that TIF funding can go towards. That's what they're doing with the 606 extension to the Foundry Park development.

28 minutes ago, ron883 said:

Definitely. I figured the St Charles bridge would difficult to acquire. They just recently fixed it after it being out of commission for 5 years. You can tell by aerials that there has been a little traffic on it.

I'd imagine that is in the works for the B&OCT bridge like you said. That's something that TIF funding can go towards. That's what they're doing with the 606 extension to the Foundry Park development.

I’m hoping so. It would definitely inject the area with some instant character and add some grittiness to it. The pedestrian bridge on the recent renderings looks so sterile.

2 hours ago, Mouthsider said:

I believe the St. Charles Air Line Bridge is still in use (sometimes). I read a piece forever ago about implications for Amtrak if they could upgrade it and get it fully functioning again. If so, I’m not sure if it could be of use for this development.

However, in the same piece, I became educated on the B&OCT Bridge, the abandoned bridge literally right next to it. That one’s been out of use for so long that it currently lacks a counterweight and doesn’t even have rails leading up to it. I don’t think any rail companies are interested in turning it back online again, either (CSX might own it? But it’s unusable in its current state). If Ishbia’s going to do a rail-to-trail conversion, he should go after that one. It’s a sleeping giant.

2 hours ago, ron883 said:

Definitely. I figured the St Charles bridge would difficult to acquire. They just recently fixed it after it being out of commission for 5 years. You can tell by aerials that there has been a little traffic on it.

I'd imagine that is in the works for the B&OCT bridge like you said. That's something that TIF funding can go towards. That's what they're doing with the 606 extension to the Foundry Park development.

This video talks about those two bridges beginning at about 13:00. And yes, I believe Amtrak has some long-term plans to use the St. Charles bridge if they ever get enough funding. But the B&OCT bridge goes nowhere and will never be used for rail again....so yes, if someone could get funding to repair it, perhaps it could be re-purposed as a pedestrian bridge. Otherwise, they'll need to build a new pedestrian drawbridge somewhere to connect the 78 with the Amtrak Yard development.

For some reason this argument that the new stadium will be bad because it is catering to corporations + tourists and not the atmosphere of die hard and affordability keeps getting served to me.

You know why the stadium has been whittled to die hards and prices low? Because we’ve been terrible. And if you think we have uniquely strong spirit at our games, you also believe you are the most beautiful boy in the world when your momma strokes your cheek.

as fun as it was going to 18k attendance games but still waiting in line for 2 innings to get a polish because they closed most of the stadium, I think I’ll deal with going to a stadium full of people and teaching them the Sox traditions like “watching the game” and, for some reason now, “doing the wave in the 7th or 8th inning”

24 minutes ago, bmags said:

For some reason this argument that the new stadium will be bad because it is catering to corporations + tourists and not the atmosphere of die hard and affordability keeps getting served to me.

You know why the stadium has been whittled to die hards and prices low? Because we’ve been terrible. And if you think we have uniquely strong spirit at our games, you also believe you are the most beautiful boy in the world when your momma strokes your cheek.

as fun as it was going to 18k attendance games but still waiting in line for 2 innings to get a polish because they closed most of the stadium, I think I’ll deal with going to a stadium full of people and teaching them the Sox traditions like “watching the game” and, for some reason now, “doing the wave in the 7th or 8th inning”

Everyone don’t let this man fool you. He participates in the wave AND tarps off

39 minutes ago, bmags said:

For some reason this argument that the new stadium will be bad because it is catering to corporations + tourists and not the atmosphere of die hard and affordability keeps getting served to me.

You know why the stadium has been whittled to die hards and prices low? Because we’ve been terrible. And if you think we have uniquely strong spirit at our games, you also believe you are the most beautiful boy in the world when your momma strokes your cheek.

as fun as it was going to 18k attendance games but still waiting in line for 2 innings to get a polish because they closed most of the stadium, I think I’ll deal with going to a stadium full of people and teaching them the Sox traditions like “watching the game” and, for some reason now, “doing the wave in the 7th or 8th inning”

If you are satisfied being one of the most poorly run franchises in professional sports, literally last in MLB in revenue, it's been an almost ideal half century for you.

For me? ¡Viva la resistance!

Doesn't Jim live on the East Coast anyway? How often is he attending the current game day experience which is pretty terrible? Give me the new stadium with all the bells and whistles and tourists that will give us more money.

3 minutes ago, PaleAleSox said:

Doesn't Jim live on the East Coast anyway? How often is he attending the current game day experience which is pretty terrible? Give me the new stadium with all the bells and whistles and tourists that will give us more money.

I believe Jim lives in Nashville and doesn't attend many games. Of course, Josh lives in Bridgeport which would also affect how the crew feels about moving to another location outside of Bridgeport.

1 hour ago, bmags said:

And if you think we have uniquely strong spirit at our games, you also believe you are the most beautiful boy in the world when your momma strokes your cheek.

Amazing line lol

59 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

Everyone don’t let this man fool you. He participates in the wave AND tarps off

don't be jealous of this bod

Out of curiosity I did a google search on costs for a White Sox game compared to MLB. This is a quick search and by no means did I do any extensive research. This could be JR propaganda for all I know

AI Overview

Attending a Chicago White Sox game is one of the

least expensive experiences in Major League Baseball.

Ticket and Total Costs

• Average/Low Ticket Prices: A recent study ranked the

  Chicago White Sox as having some of the lowest average and minimum ticket prices in the league, with individual get-in prices often starting under $10.

• Family/Group Cost: A complete ballpark experience for a family of four (including four cheap tickets, parking, two beers, two sodas, and four hot dogs) totals around $118 to $255 depending on the specific metrics used.

• Comparison to MLB Average: The overall cost for a White Sox game sits significantly below the general MLB average, which often exceeds $300 for a family outing.

Comparison to Cross-Town Rivals

• Chicago Cubs: Going to a game at Wrigley Field is dramatically more expensive. Cubs family packages and median ticket costs frequently run more than double the price of a White Sox game.

• League Leaders: Premium teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees charge baseline ticket and concession prices that can be three times higher than what you pay on the South Side.

Edited Tuesday at 01:52 PM5 days by Falstaff
typo

I personally WANT the new ball park

1 minute ago, Falstaff said:

I personally WANT the new ball park

Almost everyone does.

6 minutes ago, Falstaff said:

Out of curiosity I did a google search on costs for a White Sox game compared to MLB. This is a quick search and by no means did I do any extensive research. This could be JR propaganda for all I know

AI Overview

Attending a Chicago White Sox game is one of the

least expensive experiences in Major League Baseball.

Ticket and Total Costs

• Average/Low Ticket Prices: A recent study ranked the

  Chicago White Sox as having some of the lowest average and minimum ticket prices in the league, with individual get-in prices often starting under $10.

• Family/Group Cost: A complete ballpark experience for a family of four (including four cheap tickets, parking, two beers, two sodas, and four hot dogs) totals around $118 to $255 depending on the specific metrics used.

• Comparison to MLB Average: The overall cost for a White Sox game sits significantly below the general MLB average, which often exceeds $300 for a family outing.

Comparison to Cross-Town Rivals

• Chicago Cubs: Going to a game at Wrigley Field is dramatically more expensive. Cubs family packages and median ticket costs frequently run more than double the price of a White Sox game.

• League Leaders: Premium teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees charge baseline ticket and concession prices that can be three times higher than what you pay on the South Side.

Low cost is what happens where there is no demand. While it is nice for the pocketbook, it's what leads to cheap ownership in the long run.

10 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

This video talks about those two bridges beginning at about 13:00. And yes, I believe Amtrak has some long-term plans to use the St. Charles bridge if they ever get enough funding. But the B&OCT bridge goes nowhere and will never be used for rail again....so yes, if someone could get funding to repair it, perhaps it could be re-purposed as a pedestrian bridge. Otherwise, they'll need to build a new pedestrian drawbridge somewhere to connect the 78 with the Amtrak Yard development.

As usual, your knowledge continues to exceed mine. Thank you!

It’s crazy to think that CSX still needs to send in an employee every time Amtrak needs to raise/lower the St. Charles Air Line, considering they only own the B&OCT. Seems to me like a predicament they’d rather to get out of… Ishbia, you know what to do.

The feedback I'm getting is that most people who live in Bridgeport are more upset about the railyard being built in their neighborhood than they are about the White Sox moving out of the area. I think most people feel the team would be better off in the South Loop. Whether they can put that railyard someplace other than Bridgeport,I don't know.

25 minutes ago, Mouthsider said:

As usual, your knowledge continues to exceed mine. Thank you!

It’s crazy to think that CSX still needs to send in an employee every time Amtrak needs to raise/lower the St. Charles Air Line, considering they only own the B&OCT. Seems to me like a predicament they’d rather to get out of… Ishbia, you know what to do.

By the way, the rest of that video about other abandoned bridge is pretty interesting too. It's not Sox-related, but fascinating stuff nonetheless. Also cool to see the South Branch Bridge being raised and lowered. The guy is obviously a big train enthusiast.

Edited Tuesday at 03:31 PM5 days by 77 Hitmen

2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Low cost is what happens where there is no demand. While it is nice for the pocketbook, it's what leads to cheap ownership in the long run.

As soon as there is some organic rise in the season ticket base let's see what happens. $5 tuesdays is great though.

4 hours ago, bmags said:

You know why the stadium has been whittled to die hards and prices low? Because we’ve been terrible. And if you think we have uniquely strong spirit at our games, you also believe you are the most beautiful boy in the world when your momma strokes your cheek.

as fun as it was going to 18k attendance games but still waiting in line for 2 innings to get a polish because they closed most of the stadium, I think I’ll deal with going to a stadium full of people and teaching them the Sox traditions like “watching the game” and, for some reason now, “doing the wave in the 7th or 8th inning”

Well said. People who think this need to get around more and travel to more MLB stadiums.

The last Sox game I attended, I sat in the 100 level and people were perpetually walking up and down and sometimes even just standing in the aisles while the Sox were at bat and a player was at the plate being pitched to. I actually missed a Braden Montgomery HR because some due was just standing there talking to someone else blocking home plate for me while Braden was at bat. Whatever happened to fans waiting until in between innings or, if they're quick enough, in between at bats to get up and head to the concourse? Ya know, the Sox are in first place and have an exciting team. It's not like this is another 100 loss season where fans can't be blamed for not finding the game riveting. I'm not convinced that Sox fans are more uniquely into the game than people and that the in-game spirit is better at Rate Field than at other ballparks. And yeah, nothing says Rate Field is full of diehards totally into the game than huge groups of people doing the wave.

And yeah, the concession lines are often sooo slowwww. It's not the fault of the workers, they just don't have enough people working there. This has been a problem for years.

4 hours ago, bmags said:

For some reason this argument that the new stadium will be bad because it is catering to corporations + tourists and not the atmosphere of die hard and affordability keeps getting served to me.

You know why the stadium has been whittled to die hards and prices low? Because we’ve been terrible. And if you think we have uniquely strong spirit at our games, you also believe you are the most beautiful boy in the world when your momma strokes your cheek.

as fun as it was going to 18k attendance games but still waiting in line for 2 innings to get a polish because they closed most of the stadium, I think I’ll deal with going to a stadium full of people and teaching them the Sox traditions like “watching the game” and, for some reason now, “doing the wave in the 7th or 8th inning”

Team success and related ticket demand are definitely a huge part of the story here. But not the only part—there is a spectrum of possible approaches to this project ranging from valuing affordability and family accessibility to assure the long-term success of the team on one side, to extracting every possible cent from each attending fan on the other. I wouldn’t be too quick to totally dismiss affordability and accessibility as valid concerns. I hope those leading the charge don’t, even if I’m pessimistic that they will.

22 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

Well said. People who think this need to get around more and travel to more MLB stadiums.

The last Sox game I attended, I sat in the 100 level and people were perpetually walking up and down and sometimes even just standing in the aisles while the Sox were at bat and a player was at the plate being pitched to. I actually missed a Braden Montgomery HR because some due was just standing there talking to someone else blocking home plate for me while Braden was at bat. Whatever happened to fans waiting until in between innings or, if they're quick enough, in between at bats to get up and head to the concourse? Ya know, the Sox are in first place and have an exciting team. It's not like this is another 100 loss season where fans can't be blamed for not finding the game riveting. I'm not convinced that Sox fans are more uniquely into the game than people and that the in-game spirit is better at Rate Field than at other ballparks. And yeah, nothing says Rate Field is full of diehards totally into the game than huge groups of people doing the wave.

And yeah, the concession lines are often sooo slowwww. It's not the fault of the workers, they just don't have enough people working there. This has been a problem for years.

A lot of the workers are incredibly slow and have a bad attitude.

21 minutes ago, Green Line said:

A lot of the workers are incredibly slow and have a bad attitude.

Have they gone cashless yet? I've found that speeds things up. In general outside the long term employees a lot of these are just summer gigs so I get not exactly being thrilled to show up to the park as a burger flipper.

55 minutes ago, bmags said:

As soon as there is some organic rise in the season ticket base let's see what happens. $5 tuesdays is great though.

Ticket prices will go up 10% this off season, I would bet.

3 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Low cost is what happens where there is no demand. While it is nice for the pocketbook, it's what leads to cheap ownership in the long run.

Once Ishbia was announced as the future owner I read the White Sox franchise was called a "Sleeping Giant". The " Rail Yard" in the South Loop will be destination.

Just now, Falstaff said:

Once Ishbia was announced as the future owner I read the White Sox franchise was called a "Sleeping Giant". The " Rail Yard" in the South Loop will be destination.

I have done to the comparison to other franchises in other posts, but the 2nd team in LA just sold for over double what the White Sox are being sold for. Look at the price paid for San Diego too. If you do this right, the Sox could be a $5 billion franchise in no time at all.