Would a Bears stadium even fit on the site? 35th St and 37th St. bisect the entire property. And if it could fit, do the Bears really want to shoehorn a 70,000 seat domed stadium plus an entertainment district on that site when they have 326 acres of uninterrupted land that they already own in Arlington Heights?

5 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

This. First you need the train yard stuff done. It is 2026 and we are still in the arguing about it phase. I mean MAYBE you get shovels in the ground at some point next year, but my guess is that 28 is more realistic to do all of the background work that needs to be done such as environmental studies, etc. So then you are probably taking to 2029, at least, if not 30 to get the yard done, then after they vacate the Railyards, THEN the team starts that whole process over again for remediation and such on their own site before they can get to work on building an actual stadium. I would think the 2033 season is a realistic goal to open a new Sox park with all of the moving parts. THEN the Bears could start on their stadium. We are probably talking 10ish years from today for them to move in.

I think they'll want a new Sox park done by 2033 so that they can host the 100th anniversary All Star Game there. But, I don't see it being ready much sooner than that - maybe a year ahead of that. At any rate, the Bears bought Arlington Park in early 2023. Why in the world would they want to wait a full 10 years after that before they can even START building a new stadium at 35th St?

As far as the Amtrak facility goes, unless the city gets some sort of stop work injunction issued, I think they're going to want to get shovels in the ground ASAP....probably before opening day next year. They have the federal money and the federal exemption. They don't want to wait around until something halts their project.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by 77 Hitmen

4 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

Would a Bears stadium even fit on the site? 35th St and 37th St. bisect the entire property.

Here’s a quick photoshop of what a stadium footprint would look like. I chose to use Allegiant Stadium because the Bears’ renders take heavy inspiration from it. You’d have to bend/close a part of 35th Street, but a stadium could definitely fit there.

7 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

And if it could fit, do the Bears really want to shoehorn a 70,000 seat domed stadium plus an entertainment district on that site when they have 326 acres of uninterrupted land that they already own in Arlington Heights?

Probably not, I just thought it was a cool thought experiment.

The option for anything to be built at 35th street would be foreclosed if a massive railroad repair, and switching yard is dug in from Cermak to 39th street. The scope of that project was even greater than Sox ownership and management anticipated, and in all likelihood far more intrusive and expansive than most White Sox fans can even imagine. IMO, the prospective future owner has gone down the wrong path. Now is the time to pause and take stock in what is best for the team and the fans, respect and defer to the history and traditions of the Sox on the South side for over 120 years.

No owner would have even suggested moving the the Yankees or Red Sox to a train yard because they had an option to buy a substandard parcel there.

Shovels in the ground? There is no approved site plan or building plan so forget that 77. And as the self-appointed expert here on new stadiums tell me how the railyard plan compares to recent stadiums - baseball or football. Your urgency to get shovels in the ground before objections to the rushed plan speaks volumes. And this, in the midst of a play-off run.

14 minutes ago, tray said:

The option for anything to be built at 35th street would be foreclosed if a massive railroad repair, and switching yard is dug in from Cermak to 39th street. The scope of that project was even greater than Sox ownership and management anticipated, and in all likelihood far more intrusive and expansive than most White Sox fans can even imagine. IMO, the prospective future owner has gone down the wrong path. Now is the time to pause and take stock in what is best for the team and the fans, respect and defer to the history and traditions of the Sox on the South side for over 120 years.

No owner would have even suggested moving the the Yankees or Red Sox to a train yard because they had an option to buy a substandard parcel there.

Shovels in the ground? There is no approved site plan or building plan so forget that 77. And as the self-appointed expert here on new stadiums tell me how the railyard plan compares to recent stadiums - baseball or football. Your urgency to get shovels in the ground before objections to the rushed plan speaks volumes. And this, in the midst of a play-off run.

Yes, because no existing stadiums of Big 4 sports franchises exist around rail yards. It's not like the most famous arena in the entire United States of America was built on top of literally the busiest passenger train station in the country in New York City, right?

Why do you insist on just making stuff up to get mad about?

Bears’ Illinois stadium talks shift toward public ownership model

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/news/ccb-bears-stadium-public-ownership-20261002/