The Chicago White Sox could be on the move from the franchise’s iconic South Side location.
Old Comiskey Park housed the Sox from 1910 until 1991, when Comiskey Park II opened up across the road.
X @FOSThe White Sox need around $1 billion in public funds for a new ballpark[/caption]
Now called Rate Field, it hosts a team struggling with its identity with a dire 36-66 record good enough for rock-bottom in the American League Central.
Chicago White Sox facing potential relocation to new stadium
Despite several renovations, the current owners are eyeing a new home closer to central Chicago, while still remaining on the South Side.
A developer is working on a new ballpark in an area referred to as ‘The 78,’ per the Chicago Sun-Times. The report claimed that talks are at a ‘serious’ stage in 2024.
The potential location is at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street, which extends all the way to Wrigley Field on the North Side and is 2.5 miles north of the current arena.
Moving could annoy some die-hard fans but is likely to create a more commercially viable stadium.
A diamond has already been laid at the site but progress has hit a stumbling block over the $1 billion in public funds needed to contribute half of the overall cost.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is against the plans.
“A billion-dollar investment in a private business for a private business, rather, that’s owned by wealthy people and is a highly-valued enterprise, it seems like the taxpayers, rightly, should say, ‘Don’t we have other uses for that capital?’” he said.
That has opened the door for the MLS’ Chicago Fire to launch a rival $650 million stadium project that, crucially, is entirely funded by private money.
Some fans wouldn’t be too disappointed to see the White Sox lose out to the Fire.
GettyThe team has been on the South Side since 1894[/caption]
GettyFormer owner Charlie Comiskey watches his team in action[/caption]
GettyRate Field is in need of refurbishment[/caption]
The owners of Grandstand on the South Side want money to go onto the field, not facilities.
“Build the team! We don’t need a new stadium. We don’t need more money draining out of the city. We need the team,” said Stephanie Ganal.
Billionaire mogul Justin Ishbia linked with White Sox takeover
More changes could be coming in the boardroom with billionaire mogul Justin Ishbia linked with making a bid to buy the team off Jerry Reinsdorf.
Ishiba — a co-owner of NBA‘s Phoenix Suns — had been in talks to take over the Minnesota Twins alongside his brother Mat.
But The Athletic claims he “abandoned his bid for the team to instead acquire the [White Sox].”
He already owns a stake but reportedly wants a controlling interest.
Reinsdorf bought the White Sox in 1981 for $19 million.
The franchise is worth just over $2 billion, per Forbes. Ishiba’s estimated net worth is $5.4 billion after making a fortune in private equity.
Reinsdorf met with the Mayor of Nashville two years ago, sparking rumors that he threatened to leave the Windy City if he did not get a new stadium.
The billionaire has denied the links, but they refuse to go away, with Ishbia already having a stake in MLS club Nashville SC to further muddy the waters.
Chicago has a proud sporting history but faces major upheaval with its NFL representative, the Bears, considering a move away from Soldier Field.
With a capacity of 62,500, the venue has occupied prime real estate on Chicago’s Lakefront since 1924.
Now, the hallowed field, which has hosted speeches by Amelia Earhart, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Jr., could be almost completely torn down.
The Bears put forward a $4.7 billion plan in 2024 to create a state-of-the-art new home on an adjacent site, while retaining the iconic columns in a public space.
The vision would require $3.2 billion for the new stadium, plus $1.5 billion in infrastructure.
“This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn’t like it easy,” Bears president Kevin Warren said.
However, the election of Jim Tinaglia as Mayor of Arlington Heights has opened the door to a potential relocation out of the city, with the Bears stating that “significant progress” has been made and informing Mayor Johnson that the lakefront plans are now on the back burner.
“The Mayor spoke with executive leadership from the Chicago Bears, who indicated they intend to prioritize the development site located in the Village of Arlington Heights,” his office said in a statement.
The team bought the site of Arlington International Racecourse for $197.2 million in 2021, with the view to owning its own stadium as opposed to being tenants of the city.
With three teams looking for a new home, the winds of change are blowing through Chicago.
Royals also facing relocation headache
The White Sox aren’t the only MLB franchise who could be on the move.
The Kansas City Royals want to be in a new home by 2031, but the team has yet to name a site.
Neighboring NFL franchise the Kansas City Chiefs are set to choose between an $800 million redevelopment of Arrowhead Stadium and a $3 billion domed arena.
But the Royals have spent over a year looking at potential sites across the metro area.
Bosses insist they will not renew the lease at the Kauffman Stadium when it expires in 2031.
Blair Kerkhoff, a Kansas City Star sports writer who covers the Chiefs, exclusively told talkSPORT in June that he expects the NFL franchise to head for Kansas City and the MLB outfit to remain in Missouri.
“I think the Royals will find a way to work something out with Jackson County in the city of Kansas City to be in downtown Kansas City.
“Baseball would stay in Missouri. The football (NFL) moves to Kansas.”
Similarly, the Arizona Diamondbacks were facing their own stadium dilemma.
However, they recently got the green light on up to $500 million in renovations to Chase Field located in downtown Phoenix.
The bill, signed by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, will use sales tax revenue from the stadium and nearby buildings for infrastructure upgrades over the next 30 years, including improvements to air conditioning systems and the stadium’s retractable roof.
The team said it will also contribute $250 million for the renovations at the stadium.
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