Justin Ishbia’s recent business venture suggests the Chicago White Sox time at 35th and Shields might be coming to an end.
In March, reports surfaced that Ishbia, who is waiting in the wings to succeed Jerry Reinsdorf as the White Sox chairman, was working to buy land in the South Loop. Now new details have emerged about Ishbia’s plans that further signal a potential shift away from the team’s longtime home in Bridgeport.
The White Sox had previously expressed interest in a 62-acre site in the South Loop known as “The 78”. However, last June the Chicago Fire announced plans to construct a stadium on the site. At the time, the White Sox expressed optimism that there was room for both stadiums on the property.
Now it appears the focus is shifting across the river. Ishbia is pushing to purchase land across the from The 78, with Crain’s Business Journal the first to report plans to buy Amtrak’s 14th Street rail yard, which consists of a 47-acre plot next to the river south of Roosevelt Road.
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Ishbia’s private equity firm, Shore Capital Partners, told the Chicago Sun Times that it was exploring the development of a potential healthcare facility and medical innovation hub in partnership with Northwest Medicine. But despite the White Sox publicly saying their focus remains on The 78, Ishbia appears to be weighing whether the site could be a viable spot for a new White Sox stadium.
This week, the Urban Transportation Center at the University of Illinois Chicago hosted an Amtrak presentation outlining plans for the 14th Street rail yard tied to Ishbia’s proposed development. According to the presentation, Amtrak has been seeking to relocate from the site, citing limited space and challenges with modernization.
Under the plan, Amtrak would move operations to Canal Street, near Rate Field, with a target timeline to begin using the new site as early as this fall.
In August, Ishbia approached Amtrak about the Canal Street site, proposing a partnership to facilitate the railroad’s relocation and coordinate necessary track realignment. According to the presentation, Ishbia plans to help finance the project and is also likely to use loans to help loans to accelerate the construction timeline.
Under the proposal, Ishbia would take control of a portion of the existing 14th Street rail yard once Amtrak shifts most of its operations to Canal Street. Amtrak would temporarily maintain operations on the south end of the yard, but a second phase of the relocation would ultimately clear the remaining land, opening the full site for redevelopment.
While there is no guarantee the White Sox will build a stadium on the site, Amtrak’s move onto Rate Field’s turf suggests that the team does not plan to stay there for the long haul. If the team leaves, Amtrak has signaled that it may expand further into the abandoned lots surrounding the stadium.
