Earlier this month, it was announced that the Chicago White Sox would begin developing a new ballpark. This happened after it was revealed that the lease of their current stadium, Guaranteed Rate Field, would expire after the 2029 season.
Following this news, the team has expressed their interest in constructing a new stadium that is closer to downtown Chicago. The site would be located in South Loop, a neighborhood that is also home to the Chicago Bears.
Last Tuesday, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf traveled to Springfield to determine state funding. Reinsdorf has been seeking $1 billion in public funding, which is a tall task given how past negotiations have gone between cities and owners on this topic. However, Mayor Brandon Johnson has been open to the possibility of it.
While Johnson has been supportive of the move, getting the public on board with this move will be difficult. This is largely because of the increase in Chicago tax dollars over time, as well as the fact that taxes have been imposed to help renovate Soldier Field, the Chicago Bears stadium as well as Guaranteed Rate Field, the current home of the White Sox. Getting the public to support another stadium project could result in the project stalling, especially when the taxes that would need to be raised could anger residents of Chicago’s South Side.
The stadium would be a site that consisted of 62 acres and is located at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street. This area is known as “The 78” and the stadium has been described as a baseball-only one. When discussions had first been mentioned, the White Sox had briefly floated the idea about leaving Chicago. However, discussions with the city of Chicago picked up and the White Sox look set to stay in Chicago.
The most notable benefit mentioned by Reinsdorf was how the White Sox moving into the South Loop would be good for Illinois. He believed that while the tax sum could be seen as hefty, the economic impact could reach up to $4,000,000,000. While it is ideal to imagine how a new ballpark will benefit the entire state, examining the current situation of both Chicago and Illinois altogether will likely propel future discussions on what the best course of action is moving forward.
Seeing the White Sox leave Guaranteed Rate Field after multiple renovations were done to it may be perplexing for some. However, this move should help increase the attendance at games as they will be playing closer to the city instead of the South Side.
