It will be a long slog.
The renderings are in and Justin Ishbia is ready to build a stadium-village in Chicago for his Major League Baseball White Sox business. Ishbia is not quite the majority owner of the business. The 90-year-old Jerry Reinsdorf is the majority owner and will be running the team for another three years. Reinsdorf could sell controlling interest to Ishbia sometime between 2029 and 2033 when he will be 97 years old. Ishbia can buy the team outright from Reinsdorf in 2034. Meanwhile Ishbia’s company, Canal Edge, is planning to buy a 47-acre parcel of land currently controlled by Amtrak. Amtrak wants to move its 14th Street maintenance facility to the Bridgeport area of the city. Ishbia wants the property to develop a ballpark surrounded by a medical facility, residential areas, some retail and office space. But there is a long way to go before any of that becomes a reality. Ishbia’s company acknowledges that. Ishbia is “currently beginning a multi-month study and feasibility review evaluating a range of factors from transportation to environmental impact. If feasible, this plan could be presented to Chicago White Sox leadership for consideration as one of the team’s ballpark options when its current lease in the state-owned ballpark ends.” Reinsdorf’s lease with the state of Illinois to use the ballpark ends after the 2029 season
“The Railyards is about turning idle land into opportunity for patients who need better access to care, for a team and its fans who deserve a dynamic Riverfront home, and for a city that needs jobs, housing, and economic investment,” Ishbia said in a statement. “This is a Chicago project, built by and for Chicagoans, and we are excited about its potential.” Reinsdorf has been looking for a site in Chicago for a new stadium for years. There is no timeline to build a stadium.
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