White Sox In 'Serious' Talks To Move Near South Loop: Report

CHICAGO ­— The Chicago Bears may not be the city’s only professional sports franchise who may be on the move after a published report on Wednesday indicated that the White Sox are in “serious” discussions with the city about a possible relocation near the South Loop.

A Sun-Times report said that the White Sox, who have played in the city’s Bridgeport neighborhood for decades, may be looking to build a new stadium on a plot known as “The 78," a reference to becoming Chicago's 78th neighborhood.

The reported discussions between a land developer and the Sox, who moved into Guaranteed Rate Field in 1991, come after Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf had a meeting with Nashville’s mayor during the Major League Baseball winter meetings in December. The Sox have a lease at Guaranteed Rate Field until 2029. Reinsdorf has had previous discussions about moving the team away from its current ballpark home once the team's lease at Guaranteed Rate expires.

The 62-acre parcel of land, which is located near downtown at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street, is widely considered one of the best undeveloped plots in Chicago. The is considered prime real estate given its proximity to expressways and public transportation lines.

In response to the Sun-Times report, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Reinsdorf issued a joint statement, which did not address the possible site specifically.

“We met to discuss the historic partnership between the team and Chicago and the team’s ideas for remaining competitive in Chicago in perpetuity,” the statement read. “The partnership between the city and the team goes back more than a century, and we are both committed to continuing this dialogue moving forward.”

The Sun-Times report said that the Sox are in the midst of negotiations with developer Related Midwest in terms of building a baseball-only ballpark on the site. The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the government agency that owns and financed Guaranteed Rate Field, has not been involved in the discussion, according to the Sun-Times.

On Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked whether he would support the use of state funds being devoted to building a possible new ballpark for the Sox near the South Loop parcel.

“Nobody’s made an ask yet. Having said that, I think you know my views on privately owned teams, and whether the public should be paying for private facilities that will be used for private business,” Pritzker said at a news conference. “Having said that, there are things that government does to support business all across the state, investing in infrastructure and ensuring the success of business in Illinois."