The White Sox and developer Related Midwest are in talks on the potential to construct a new ballpark on the “The 78” South Loop plot.
The Chicago Sun-Times was informed by “serious” sources familiar with the talks that they are in the process of negotiating a baseball-only stadium. All of these sources spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Frank Bilecki, CEO of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the government organization that owns and finances Guaranteed Rate Field, states that the authority has not participated in the talks. The stadium authority would eventually have to decide what would happen to Guaranteed Rate Field and, if it were publicly funded, perhaps even build a new ballpark.
Related Midwest is the owner of the possible location at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street. Curt Bailey, the company president, declined to comment. Neither would Jason Lee, a senior advisor to Mayor Brandon Johnson, nor Scott Reifert, a spokesman for the Sox.
In a joint written statement, Johnson and Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf replied to inquiries, saying, “We met to discuss the team’s ideas for remaining competitive in Chicago in perpetuity as well as the historic partnership between the team and Chicago.”
The developer called the South Loop parcel after its potential to become Chicago’s 78th neighborhood; they made no mention of the idea of relocating the Sox from Guaranteed Rate Field to this new location.
The 78 is one of Chicago’s largest undeveloped lots, spanning 62 acres south to 16th Street, and is also one of the most advantageously situated. However, it has escaped development for many years.
It was one of several locations considered for the Chicago casino now being proposed for River West, which was once owned by convicted political power broker Tony Rezko.