Should The Sox Buy the Old Post Office For A New Stadium?

[southsider2k5]

So you want a guy who is relatively frugal as MLB owners go, to spend $100M+ on a property, to try to pull off an architectural miracle (fitting a stadium a hundred feet above true ground, hovering over an expressway, and abutting a river) and a multi-BILLION dollar stadium, when the one he has was just renovated and is only 25 years old?

 

And in an environment where Illinois and Chicago government weren't even willing to chip in on the Wrigley project?

 

Come on now. Let's re-join reality.

 

Now, I could see the Sox owners as a consortium trying to find a south loop or west loop property big enough and simply buy the land speculatively, to sit on for now. Rates are low, property prices have recovered but are still not at their previous peak. Might be worth the offset of property tax costs for undeveloped land. Maybe.

 

But even then, they won't be planning to build for a very long time. Decades really. So even that is unlikely.

 

QFT

[LDF]

and it'll cost BILLIONS to build.

 

The reason why it hasn't been developed after the USPS left is because the cost to convert the site to ANY use is extremely expensive. The demolition costs alone are more than a top flight pitcher on the free agent market.

 

i agree, do i think that it was going to happen, the sox buying it,

no, i am just stating the fact of the design and idea.

[harfman77]

I am not sure JR owns the team long enough to warrant looking into building a new stadium, unless he feels that it will give him a better price when he sells the team.

 

The team could partner with the City of Chicago and the state of Illinois to get some economic development funds to offset a good share of the costs in securing and preparing the site, the team could then sell off parcels of land to commercial developers to surround the stadium area to help fund the stadium, or they could lease the area to add additional revenue flow for the forseeable future. It would be expensive, but a lot of times these initiatives are funded with a quite a bit of public money.

[ewokpelts]

I am not sure JR owns the team long enough to warrant looking into building a new stadium, unless he feels that it will give him a better price when he sells the team.

 

The team could partner with the City of Chicago and the state of Illinois to get some economic development funds to offset a good share of the costs in securing and preparing the site, the team could then sell off parcels of land to commercial developers to surround the stadium area to help fund the stadium, or they could lease the area to add additional revenue flow for the forseeable future. It would be expensive, but a lot of times these initiatives are funded with a quite a bit of public money.

the next sox stadium will be on the site of the last sox stadium.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

the next sox stadium will be on the site of the last sox stadium.

That I'm not so sure of. But really, such an event is probably decades in the future, so it is difficult to even begin to predict what neighborhoods, property prices, etc. will look like at that time. People often forget this, but neighborhoods change, sometimes dramatically, in periods that long.

 

[southsider2k5]

That I'm not so sure of. But really, such an event is probably decades in the future, so it is difficult to even begin to predict what neighborhoods, property prices, etc. will look like at that time. People often forget this, but neighborhoods change, sometimes dramatically, in periods that long.

 

It is 99.9999% sure that the next stadium the White Sox play in will be undertaken by an different ownership group. It is impossible to imagine who that will be, and what their goals will be.

[nitetrain8601]

the next sox stadium will be on the site of the last sox stadium.

 

I hope not.

[ewokpelts]

I hope not.

Where else will they build in 2029? The land currently is a parking lot.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Where else will they build in 2029? The land currently is a parking lot.

Again, there is zero way to even guess where they might find land for it in 2029. Who knows. Neighborhoods can be come ghost towns, large factory properties close, etc. At any given time there are large lots out there. I mean right now, even in relatively desirable areas, you've got the massive Finkle Steel plant property in Lincoln Park opening up. There's a large lot along the Chicago River next to Elston just south of Division. The list goes on.

 

There is just no guessing right now, and there is certainly a chance the changed ownership group may have very different ideas of how to grow by that time.

 

[ewokpelts]

Again, there is zero way to even guess where they might find land for it in 2029. Who knows. Neighborhoods can be come ghost towns, large factory properties close, etc. At any given time there are large lots out there. I mean right now, even in relatively desirable areas, you've got the massive Finkle Steel plant property in Lincoln Park opening up. There's a large lot along the Chicago River next to Elston just south of Division. The list goes on.

 

There is just no guessing right now, and there is certainly a chance the changed ownership group may have very different ideas of how to grow by that time.

Where else will you have the infrastructure of THREE commuter rail lines, one major expressway with three exits servicing the park, as well as 7000 parking spaces?

 

[Quin]

The only problem with The Cell's location is the skyline should be in the background.

[southsider2k5]

The only problem with The Cell's location is the skyline should be in the background.

 

The thing I hate most about USCF is that you walk in at the absolute bottom of the stadium. I would have loved if they did what most other parts did and put the infield into the ground so that you walk in at the top of the 100 level.

[LDF]

That I'm not so sure of. But really, such an event is probably decades in the future, so it is difficult to even begin to predict what neighborhoods, property prices, etc. will look like at that time. People often forget this, but neighborhoods change, sometimes dramatically, in periods that long.

 

i agree, whether it is going to be headed by JR family or not, i think the

sox learned that the present site is killing the location for fans ease

of attending the games.

[LDF]

Again, there is zero way to even guess where they might find land for it in 2029. Who knows. Neighborhoods can be come ghost towns, large factory properties close, etc. At any given time there are large lots out there. I mean right now, even in relatively desirable areas, you've got the massive Finkle Steel plant property in Lincoln Park opening up. There's a large lot along the Chicago River next to Elston just south of Division. The list goes on.

 

There is just no guessing right now, and there is certainly a chance the changed ownership group may have very different ideas of how to grow by that time.

 

they the sox group will find those places as a great location. you know, maybe a suburb.

[LDF]

Where else will you have the infrastructure of THREE commuter rail lines, one major expressway with three exits servicing the park, as well as 7000 parking spaces?

 

the yr now is 2014 and you are talking about when, 2020-2025. cmon think about

it, things change.

[Lemon_44]

I don't live in Chicago(Columbus, Ohio actually), but usually go to a game at USCF at least once a year and have a question. Why haven't the Sox, or the city of Chicago been able to renovate the area around the stadium to make it more desirable?

 

Cleveland's stadium(s) were in bad neighborhoods but they've made the areas nice with restaurants and bars to frequent before and after the games. They did the same here in Columbus when they built their new AAA park. I'm sure it happens all over the place. How come it hasn't happened for the Sox?

[Dick Allen]

I don't live in Chicago(Columbus, Ohio actually), but usually go to a game at USCF at least once a year and have a question. Why haven't the Sox, or the city of Chicago been able to renovate the area around the stadium to make it more desirable?

 

Cleveland's stadium(s) were in bad neighborhoods but they've made the areas nice with restaurants and bars to frequent before and after the games. They did the same here in Columbus when they built their new AAA park. I'm sure it happens all over the place. How come it hasn't happened for the Sox?

Because the people that live in the neighborhood don't want that. They don't want Wrigleyville. Can't say I blame them.

 

I don't know if anyone read about Goose Island Wrigleyville closing. Apparently their lease ended and the owner of the property wanted them to go month to month. They wouldn't do it because these bars only make money during baseball season, and if the landlord wanted to end the least in March or April, they would lose their shirt. There is a ton of turnover around there.

[CanOfCorn]

the yr now is 2014 and you are talking about when, 2020-2025. cmon think about

it, things change.

 

 

Wait...what? You think the commuter lines, exits and highways are going away? Or are you saying the Sox might want a different place then?

 

If anything gets done...ever, my guess it will be a mixed use facility with the Bears to expand that stadium. Either near the lake or the some other large parcel of land on the near South Side.

[Thad Bosley]

the next sox stadium will be on the site of the last sox stadium.

Wrong. The next ownership group will put their indelible mark on this franchise and once and for all, move the team out of that location which, for several decades now, has proven beyond a doubt to be less than desirable - and that's putting it mildly.

[LDF]

Wait...what? You think the commuter lines, exits and highways are going away? Or are you saying the Sox might want a different place then?

 

If anything gets done...ever, my guess it will be a mixed use facility with the Bears to expand that stadium. Either near the lake or the some other large parcel of land on the near South Side.

 

 

no but there may be new ownership or the same ownership with new

faces in charge.

 

jeeze you mean you can't figure this out. there are many things that

can change.

[southsider2k5]

no but there may be new ownership or the same ownership with new

faces in charge.

 

jeeze you mean you can't figure this out. there are many things that

can change.

 

Jerry's recommendation is for his sons and the current ownership group to sell the team upon his death.

[LDF]

Jerry's recommendation is for his sons and the current ownership group to sell the team upon his death.

 

damn, i did not know this, i was wondering if there was something in

his will.

 

wow, that will be sad, a passing of a legend. he did do a lot for the chi

sports.

[southsider2k5]

damn, i did not know this, i was wondering if there was something in

his will.

 

wow, that will be sad, a passing of a legend. he did do a lot for the chi

sports.

 

He said it publicly in an interview in the last year or so.

[LDF]

He said it publicly in an interview in the last year or so.

 

i missed it. thanks for the update.

[bmags]

I just want to say THANK YOU to Jerry for that. If his kids can pull together the money to buy it from him, great, but I hate when sports fans are held hostage by the 2nd and 3rd generation kids whose entire identity is the team and if they fail there is no way out.