South Loop business owners and residents are mostly optimistic about the possibility of the White Sox building a stadium in the vacant lot called The 78.
Some balked at the idea of introducing more traffic to the bustling Roosevelt Road/State Street corridor, but others were thrilled that the long-empty lot could be developed to inject vibrancy to the neighborhood.
Not only could a new ballpark rejuvenate the neighborhood, but it “could be a very unique stadium and reinvigorate the team,” said Matthew Brewer, owner of the Grasshopper Club marijuana dispensary at 58 E. Roosevelt Road.
Jim Wales, president of the community group South Loop Neighbors, said a stadium would come with more than just a new field.
“You don’t just get a stadium, but a development of a whole entertainment district” that would include restaurants and other businesses, he said.
Construction equipment on The 78 site at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street in the South Loop. The White Sox and a developer could build a stadium on part of the site. Gov. J.B. Pritzker plans to use at least part of the property for a University of Illinois tech research center known as Discovery Partners Institute.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
The 78 is a “prime spot” for developing and already has a robust network of public transit and proximity to expressways, Wales said.
But not everyone had a glowing reaction.
“I think it’s just going to bring traffic and more crime,” said Michael Gellar, 44.
Gellar once lived near Wrigley Field when he first moved to Chicago.
“Game days are just nuts. And there’s a lot of games,” he said.
The 78 is bound on the east by a quiet residential neighborhood that residents call Dearborn Park.
The area already sees its share of football fans who get lost in the neighborhood’s dead-end streets after Bears games at Soldier Field. That could get worse with a new stadium, Sarah McIntosh said.
“People will be drunk and wander in here and don’t know how to get out,” said McIntosh, who’s lived in the area for six years.
The Chinatown community, just south of The 78, also has concerns.
Grace Chan McKibben, executive director of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, says she’s hoping for more community input regarding the stadium “as soon as possible.”
She wondered if city plans to finally expand the riverwalk south would be shelved if a stadium were built. Ping Tom Memorial Park, just south of The 78, may also be affected.
“We just want to be sure that Ping Tom Park is protected,” McKibben said.
Ald. Nicole Lee (11th), whose Bridgeport ward includes Guaranteed Rate Field, said the Sox gave her a “heads-up” before last week’s meeting with developer Related Midwest and Mayor Brandon Johnson to discuss the stadium proposal.
Lee says she’s hoping to get more details from Related Midwest and the Sox next week.
“They’ve been in Bridgeport for over a century, and I certainly don’t want to see them leave. I want to do everything in my power to keep them right where they are,” Lee said.
Lee noted that The 78 is “just on the other side” of the 11th Ward.
“There’s an impact there. I don’t want to see them move from where they are,” she said.
Nina Tai, who has lived in Chinatown for about 10 years, said the park was an attraction Sox fans wouldn’t find in Bridgeport.
Tai, 71, was surprised to learn about the potential move.
“I thought [they] were building a neighborhood over there, and now you’re talking about a sports” stadium? she asked.
There’s also the question of which neighborhood should benefit from a new stadium, if the Sox choose to build one.
Stadiums draw people, money and business — and the South Loop is already relatively affluent, said Robin Petty, owner of Fruitful Delight, a smoothie shop at 1511 S. State St.
A new stadium could better serve a community on the South Side, she said.
“Chicago’s really segregated, and people don’t travel to the South Side if they don’t live there. I feel like creating an opportunity to bring people to the South Side is essential,” said Petty, who lives in Bronzeville.
Others took a more relaxed attitude toward the potential development.
“I don’t like to see a city stagnate. Change is inevitable and good for a thriving community,” said Brian Boonstra, who lives in the Dearborn Tower area just east of The 78.
White Sox season ticket holder Janie Urbanic is excited about the possibility of Sox games being only a 20-minute walk from her apartment.
“I think it’s a great idea because it would be closer for me,” said Urbanic, director of volunteer organization at South Loop Village.
But she’s concerned about traffic becoming worse.
“We have, you know, NASCAR, we have Lollapalooza, we have the Bears games … And then to add to that number to go to the Sox games with that amount of congestion — at times it becomes very challenging for neighbors,” she said.
She suggested building a stadium with a retractable roof.
“If we had a stadium [where] we’d be protected from cold or rain or any weather, I would be more likely to spend more time there,” she said.
Even neighbors who did not consider themselves Sox fans seemed enticed by the idea of a nearby stadium.
“I always like sports I can walk to,” said Kimberly Schelling, who’s lived in the neighborhood for 13 years.
She liked the idea of having more restaurants and bars nearby.
“I don’t think we need to be the next River North, but it would be nice to have a few more walkable options,” she said.
Mary Lou Sherman, a South Loop Sox fan, says she’s thrilled about the prospect of a stadium across the street from her home.
“If it’s easier for me to get to White Sox Park, I’m all for it,” she said.
Contributing: Fran Spielman
