Sox looking at building in South Loop

[77 Hitmen]

1 hour ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Don't bet your life on this happening. From a story this afternoon in the Sun-Times:

"While state lawmakers have all but rejected the possibility of dedicating any public money to a stadium — either for the Sox or the Bears, who want a new home of their own..." 

"But Gov. JB Pritzker and state legislative leaders have said there’s zero political will in Springfield to help Reinsdorf or the McCaskeys, who want $900 million from taxpayers for a new lakefront stadium. Both proposals are considered long shots to make any progress during the fall veto session."

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/08/30/the78-white-sox-stadium-related-midwest

The Sox heading to shattering the 1962 Mets futility record isn't exactly going to help JR get the taxpayer money he desires.  His incompetence is working against him here.

[77 Hitmen]

The Sox and Related Midwest have constructed a temporary baseball diamond at The 78 where they want to build a new ballpark.  This won't magically get them public funding, but I have to say that I like that view of the skyline from there.  If the Sox want to privately finance a new stadium there, I'm all for it.  

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/08/30/the78-white-sox-stadium-related-midwest

[Lip Man 1]

11 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

The Sox and Related Midwest have constructed a temporary baseball diamond at The 78 where they want to build a new ballpark.  This won't magically get them public funding, but I have to say that I like that view of the skyline from there.  If the Sox want to privately finance a new stadium there, I'm all for it.  

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/08/30/the78-white-sox-stadium-related-midwest

If JR wants to pay for the stadium himself I have no objection at all.

But he's already been gifted a stadium once along with a sweetheart lease agreement.

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

If he wants a new stadium he can pay for it. Especially given how he's run the franchise and the return the fan base has gotten from it. 

[Texsox]

19 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

The Sox heading to shattering the 1962 Mets futility record isn't exactly going to help JR get the taxpayer money he desires.  His incompetence is working against him here.

Agreed. But I'm not certain that even if it was a world series season, that the average taxpayer would support it. It also hurts that the majority of taxpayers aren't baseball fans and could easily think hey, we already have one team, do we really need two? Only baseball fans really understand. 

[PaleAleSox]

36 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

The Sox and Related Midwest have constructed a temporary baseball diamond at The 78 where they want to build a new ballpark.  This won't magically get them public funding, but I have to say that I like that view of the skyline from there.  If the Sox want to privately finance a new stadium there, I'm all for it.  

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/08/30/the78-white-sox-stadium-related-midwest

Man that is such a great view.

[tray]

If the entire plot was sold to the WSox, ISFA , or the Bears, a Sports venue there very well could make sense.However, the sandlot is a gross misrepresentation of what Related has proposed. At the end of the day, they are just another greedy mega developer preying on gullible fans and tax payers while they seek to leverage every inch of real estate and every possible scenario they could imagine.

[Texsox]

We should remember that all sorts of incentives are given to "greedy mega developers" every day by local, regional, state, and federal governments. It all happens under the banner of economic development. 

With the revenue structure in baseball these stadiums are really just TV studios for an unscripted reality show. 

[JoeC]

Let's talk about The 78 when we get to 78 wins in a season again.

Hell, I'll settle for 35 wins.

Edited August 31 by JoeC
Hell autocorrected to he'll

[Rusty]

I still believe all of this is a ruse to get the state to renew the insanely favorable GRF lease terms exactly as currently written.  Maybe even try to twist their arm into a couple more concessions.  

[77 Hitmen]

4 hours ago, Texsox said:

Agreed. But I'm not certain that even if it was a world series season, that the average taxpayer would support it. It also hurts that the majority of taxpayers aren't baseball fans and could easily think hey, we already have one team, do we really need two? Only baseball fans really understand. 

That's true.  The KC Chiefs got their stadium renovations voted down and they've won 3 Super Bowls in the last 5 years.  But, just like the way he runs his baseball team, Jerry thinks it's still 1991.  He's totally out of touch on both.   

Jerry and the Wirtz family have apparently managed to come up with $7B in private financing to redevelop the parking lots around the UC.   But he can only come up with $200M toward the 78 ballpark development?  

And yeah, Rusty may have a point about this being a ruse for getting a new, long-term sweetheart deal at GRF.  That's certainly possible.

[Dick Allen]

10 hours ago, PaleAleSox said:

Man that is such a great view.

It is, but most would be blocked out once they built the stadium. Unless you were way up in the upper deck.

[GreatScott82]

6 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

That's true.  The KC Chiefs got their stadium renovations voted down and they've won 3 Super Bowls in the last 5 years.  But, just like the way he runs his baseball team, Jerry thinks it's still 1991.  He's totally out of touch on both.   

Jerry and the Wirtz family have apparently managed to come up with $7B in private financing to redevelop the parking lots around the UC.   But he can only come up with $200M toward the 78 ballpark development?  

And yeah, Rusty may have a point about this being a ruse for getting a new, long-term sweetheart deal at GRF.  That's certainly possible.

When I saw those numbers come out, I thought to myself, wasn’t that Related Midwest on the 78 stadium proposal under $2 billion? So Jerry can invest $3.5 billion on improving the surrounding UC parking lots and not build his own gem on the 78 plot of land? Something isn’t adding up. 

[Texsox]

1 hour ago, GreatScott82 said:

When I saw those numbers come out, I thought to myself, wasn’t that Related Midwest on the 78 stadium proposal under $2 billion? So Jerry can invest $3.5 billion on improving the surrounding UC parking lots and not build his own gem on the 78 plot of land? Something isn’t adding up. 

ROI. The return on investment for parking lots is relatively quick and they are easy to  pivot and create a new development if necessary. Also no long-term expensive maintenance and upkeep. Attracting investors to buy land and make minimal improvements isn't as hard as finding investor money for a stadium. 

[Texsox]

13 hours ago, PaleAleSox said:

Man that is such a great view.

Until you look down on the field. 

[Dick Allen]

4 minutes ago, Texsox said:

ROI. The return on investment for parking lots is relatively quick and they are easy to  pivot and create a new development if necessary. Also no long-term expensive maintenance and upkeep. Attracting investors to buy land and make minimal improvements isn't as hard as finding investor money for a stadium. 

Considering how Related and JR have states the studies all show the states 10 figure investment is a total win for the state, how they couldn’t find investors  to build this privately with minimal cost to the state. They will be counting their money forever.

[Texsox]

6 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Considering how Related and JR have states the studies all show the states 10 figure investment is a total win for the state, how they couldn’t find investors  to build this privately with minimal cost to the state. They will be counting their money forever.

I'd like to see the details and the assumptions in their models, wouldn't you? 

 

[WBWSF]

I'm expecting the next few years will have very low payrolls. Will the money be used  towards building the new stadium in the South Loop?

[WhiteSox2023]

10 minutes ago, WBWSF said:

I'm expecting the next few years will have very low payrolls. Will the money be used  towards building the new stadium in the South Loop?

Not if JR can avoid spending his own money, although Pritzker has been saying no to his requests.

[Iwritecode]

On 8/30/2024 at 5:13 PM, The Grinder said:

JB doesn't appear to like JR or the White Sox 

Neither do most Sox fans.

[Chick Mercedes]

On 8/30/2024 at 4:33 PM, 77 Hitmen said:

The Sox and Related Midwest have constructed a temporary baseball diamond at The 78 where they want to build a new ballpark.  This won't magically get them public funding, but I have to say that I like that view of the skyline from there.  If the Sox want to privately finance a new stadium there, I'm all for it.  

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/08/30/the78-white-sox-stadium-related-midwest

I am actively rooted against Jerry Reinsdorf being able to accomplish anything, with or without his own money. All that means is a shiny new ballpark with a turd sitting inside. 

[77 Hitmen]

21 hours ago, Chick Mercedes said:

I am actively rooted against Jerry Reinsdorf being able to accomplish anything, with or without his own money. All that means is a shiny new ballpark with a turd sitting inside. 

Now that you mention it, even if Jerry goes ahead with building a stadium with private funding, my concern is that he'll mess up the design just like he did with New Comiskey.  He reportedly had an active role in the design of the current park - rejected a Camden Yards-like design, pushed the upper deck even higher to get another row of luxury boxes below it, etc.  The park quickly ended up looking stale and generic and the ISFA had to spend millions to fix some of the mistakes after only about 10 years.  

Somehow, he'd find a way to squeeze any charm and character out of a new ballpark if given another chance at a new park.  You just know he would because that's what he does with anything related to the White Sox.  

[Dick Allen]

30 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

Now that you mention it, even if Jerry goes ahead with building a stadium with private funding, my concern is that he'll mess up the design just like he did with New Comiskey.  He reportedly had an active role in the design of the current park - rejected a Camden Yards-like design, pushed the upper deck even higher to get another row of luxury boxes below it, etc.  The park quickly ended up looking stale and generic and the ISFA had to spend millions to fix some of the mistakes after only about 10 years.  

Somehow, he'd find a way to squeeze any charm and character out of a new ballpark if given another chance at a new park.  You just know he would because that's what he does with anything related to the White Sox.  

Better he f*** something up with his own money than public funds.

[greg775]

On 8/30/2024 at 7:08 PM, PaleAleSox said:

Man that is such a great view.

Is there any space for parking at the new park's location? Where actually is the park? For instance let's say you were driving from northeast naperville to the new park? How do u get there? Would there be much traffic?

[greg775]

4 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

Somehow, he'd find a way to squeeze any charm and character out of a new ballpark if given another chance at a new park.  You just know he would because that's what he does with anything related to the White Sox.  

Let's face it, Guaranteed Rate field is OK lower level and bleachers area. The whole upper deck should be removed. Jerry making it so steep is dumb.

Any grumblings in Bridgeport about the Sox leaving the area? Would it decimate the area economically?

[greg775]

On 8/30/2024 at 11:25 PM, Rusty said:

I still believe all of this is a ruse to get the state to renew the insanely favorable GRF lease terms exactly as currently written.  Maybe even try to twist their arm into a couple more concessions.  

Yeah, I can't see the Sox ever leaving that area of 35th and Shields. Maybe they'll build another one at the site of old Comiskey only make it look like Camden Yards. Then the current stadium gets blasted for parking. Just do what they did last time again.