What a new riverfront White Sox stadium could look like
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Rendering courtesty of Related Midwest
The plans for the potential new White Sox stadium along the Chicago River are starting to materialize.
The big picture: Related Midwest, the development company in charge of the The 78 mega-development, are pitching the White Sox on a move from Bridgeport to the 62-acre location in the South Loop.
What they're saying: "The development would be a catalyst for the creation of Chicago's next great neighborhood," plus "tens of thousands of permanent and construction jobs," Related Midwest said in a statement.
Zoom in: Newly released renderings show a potential stadium nestled in between high-rise condo buildings along the Chicago River near Clark and 18th Streets.
- The sleek design also envisions a surrounding stadium district, which the Sox covet.
- The park is positioned along the water, similar to PNC Park in Pittsburgh or Oracle Park in San Francisco.
Yes, but: The park faces north so no home runs would splash into the river.
The intrigue: The renderings also reimagine what the old Guaranteed Rate stadium grounds would look like on 35th Street, proposing a soccer stadium and a redevelopment of housing and streetscapes.
Reality check: Related Midwest doesn't own the land at 35th and Shields.
What we're watching: The Sox and Related Midwest are hoping to engage Springfield for a massive financing package this spring, the Sun-Times reports.
- Also, Crain's reported that the Sox could exploit a loophole in the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority contract to secure public funding, by building parks and public spaces around any new stadium.
- Gov. JB Pritzker has already signaled he won't support using taxpayer dollars to build sports stadiums.