A move to the South Loop appears to be back on for the White Sox.
According to Crain’s Chicago Business, Justin Ishbia and his private equity firm are nearing a deal to purchase a 47-acre rail yard across the Chicago River from “The 78” site that was previously rumored for a new stadium. The new plot of land is currently the Amtrak 14th Street Coach Yard and is expected to become the site of a future ballpark if a deal goes through.
As Justin Laurence of Crain’s Chicago Business reports, this deal is contingent on Amtrak finding a new space. The company is currently in negotiations to take over Union Pacific’s location, which would thus allow them to build a new maintenance facility near the parking lots surrounding Rate Field.
This development is the latest in the team’s quest for a new stadium after Jerry Reinsdorf and Co. previously touted a South Loop plan that put a new ballpark in the center of the action at “The 78” site, with a Petco Park-esque vibe among the renderings. The ballpark was planned to sit right along the river and would ensure a skyline background. It would also have been part of a larger “ballpark village” that was reminiscent of what the Braves and Cardinals currently have.
Things appeared to be moving quickly from the initial concepts, with renderings and the proposal proving to be far from a mere unsubstantiated idea. Rob Manfred and even the Chicago Federation of Labor expressed their support for this new stadium plan, and former NBC Sports Chicago member and current ESPN radio host David Kaplan went so far as to say the White Sox’s new South Loop stadium was ”basically a done deal.”
Unfortunately, the plans seemingly evaporated as quickly as they were introduced after the Chicago Fire swooped in to secure the area. The soccer team officially broke ground earlier this month on a $750 million, 22,000-seat, privately funded stadium that will become the centerpiece of a new 62-acre neighborhood development and is expected to open for the 2028 MLS season. Thanks to future White Sox owner Justin Ishbia, however, the team may still be able to accomplish much of the same goals and keep that skyline view, just from the opposite side of the river.
As a reminder, the White Sox’s current lease for Guaranteed Rate Field does not end until after the 2028 season, but there would still be plenty of work necessary to get a stadium ready for around that timeframe. We will continue to monitor this situation for positive updates and new potential renderings.
This is a developing story. More to come.
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