Chicago Fire Muscle In On White Sox's Dream Of South Loop Stadium
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 17: New coach Gregg Berhalter of the Chicago Fire poses for a photo with ... More owner Joe Mansueto during a press conference at Waldorf Astoria Chicago on October 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by)
The Chicago Fire is poised to end the long search for a stadium that will be embraced by soccer fans. But the Fire's gain could prove to be a loss for Jerry Reinsdorf and the Chicago White Sox.
Fire owner Joe Mansueto announced on Tuesday he has reached an agreement to build a 22,000-seat stadium in the South Loop, on the 62-acre site, which the Sox had previously identified its ideal future home.
Reinsdorf has said the White Sox cannot remain viable at The Rate, its home since 2003, due to an inability to generate revenue to compete with the top teams in Major League Baseball. The team released renderings of a stadium in the development known as The 78 last summer, emphasizing both the potential beauty and versatility of this underused land east of the Chicago River, but has failed to gain traction in its push for public funding for the project, estimated at $1.25 billion.
Like the Bears' push for a ew stadium either in suburban Arlington Heights or downtown, the White Sox's lobbying efforts did not lead to any funding measures being introduced in the spring session of the Illinois General Assembly. You would think Reinsdorf and George McCaskey would not have enjoyed a message Mansueto is sending about privately financed sports venues.
'It is my belief that these stadiums should be privately financed,' Mansueto said. 'Most of the value accrues to the sports team. So it's only fair that the sports team shoulders the cost of its construction.'
Mansueto, 68, founded the financial services firm Morningstar in 1984. His net worth is $6.6 billion, according to Forbes, which ranks him 528th in the world. He purchased the MLS' Chicago Fire in a series of transactions in 2018 and '19.
Mansueto's agreement with Related Midwest involves the purchase of only 10 acres for the stadium. Both the White Sox and Related Midwest CEO Curt Bailey believe a baseball stadium could fit on the remaining acreage but not everyone agrees.
Pat Dowell, an alderman for the 3rd Ward, told Crain's Chicago 'the site is too small for two stadiums.'
Bailey said he hopes to have received city approval for the soccer stadium by November, allowing construction to begin with an eye of opening in 2028. The first step is a public hearing on June 16.
In a statement following Mansueto's announcement, the White Sox said they 'continue to consider the site as an option. We believe in Related Midwest's vision for The 78 and remain confident the riverfront location could serve as a home to both teams. We continue to have conservations with Related Midwest about the site's possibilities and opportunities.'
Chicago-based sports marketing consultant Marc Ganis told the Tribune he believes the lot is large enough to accommodate both a soccer and baseball stadium.
'It could work,' Ganis told the Chicago Tribune. 'They would have to work out the use of the infrastructure and the parking and the scheduling and things of that nature. I think it'd be great for the city.'
Founded as an expansion team in 1997, the Fire has had three different home stadiums, including two stints at Soldier Field. Its fan base comes largely from the city, which limited the success of a run of 14 seasons in SeatGeek Stadium, located in suburban Bridgeview. Soldier Field lacks the intimacy and ambience of popular soccer venues forces the team to deal with terms of its lease.
When Reinsdorf first began his push for public funding to drive a move to the The 78, he offered up the possibility or reconfiguring The Rate as a home for the Fire.
Mansueto had other ideas, not only putting in his own claim to The 78 but promising to pay for construction.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New Gold Star on Hamilton's west side is open and has an expanded menu
Jun. 6—A relocated Hamilton west side Gold Star restaurant is now open and is much larger than its former location on Main Street. It is in a plaza on North Brookwood Avenue that will see explosive growth in the next few years. A Valvoline is being built nearby, next to Wendy's and a newly announce Kroger Marketplace will be close, too. The Gold Star is corporate-owned as it replaces a building owned by now-former franchisee Carlo Salem, who is retiring. Gold Star Chili CEO Roger David said the work to select a location and build it took at least five years. However, it's been his priority for just about his entire 10-year tenure as CEO. Plans for the project were approved by Hamilton City Council in 2023. "It's very, very rewarding to be here," he said. David said patrons will notice a few things walking through the door, one being "an elevated level of hospitality." Another is an expanded menu, which in addition to the classic conies and ways, the restaurant will serve single and double burgers, deckers, fried chicken sandwiches, milkshakes and garlic parmesan fries, which David says "are the best in the city." The westside Hamilton store is a little bigger than the newer prototype restaurants being built over the past few years. The new Gold Star store replaced an old Pizza Hut, but David said they used that pizza restaurant's existing footprint, which resulted in a bigger space. "It has a tremendous dining room in there, we can accommodate a large group," he said. Gold Star plans to continue its partnership with community groups, including the schools, churches "and any organization that congregates." "We'll be a part of whatever their needs may be," he said. But helping with food banks and pantries is where the 60-year-old restaurant chain "really, really leans in heavily." "Understanding community needs is kind of where it starts, but with hunger, that's typically where we lean in a little heavier," he said. While the North Brookwood Gold Star has been open for a couple of weeks, the Cincinnati-based chain will formally celebrate its opening the weekend of Aug. 9 and 10, where guests can get free cheese coneys with the purchase of a drink, and chances to win free burgers for a year. The restaurant is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 108 N. Brookwood Ave.
Axios
26 minutes ago
- Axios
Buc-ee's opens store an hour from New Orleans
Buc-ee's opens its massive travel center Monday in Mississippi just off Interstate 10 in Pass Christian. Why it matters: It's the popular chain's closest location to New Orleans (it's about one hour away) as it works on building its first two stores in Louisiana. The big picture: Buc-ee's is a cult favorite for road trippers. It's known for clean bathrooms, fresh food and beaver-themed merchandise. The Mississippi location has all the classics, the company says, including Texas barbeque, jerky, fudge, kolaches, pastries and snacks. It also has 120 gas pumps and 24 EV charging stations, according to a press release. The store opens at 6am and will be open 24 hours, seven days a week. By the numbers: It's the company's first store in Mississippi and has one of its largest footprints at 74,000 square feet. Its largest store, which it claims is the world's largest convenience station, is in Luling, Texas, at 75,593 square feet. Until now, the closest one to New Orleans was in Alabama near Mobile. Zoom out: Buc-ee's is a Texas-based chain that has been expanding its footprint nationally. Its first Louisiana store is expected to open in Ruston late next year, a company spokesperson tells Axios. A Lafayette store is projected to open in 2027, the spokesperson says. If you go: Expect crowds and traffic on I-10 near the new store. The Pass Christian location is at 8245 Firetower Road, which is accessed via exit 24 (Menge Avenue) on I-10.
Miami Herald
32 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Joining the Florida Panthers' ‘revitalized' Seth Jones. The next goal: Win a Stanley Cup
Seth Jones felt the emotions rush through him Wednesday as he took the ice for pregame introductions ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. It's a moment he was waiting for his whole career. The nerves were already there. And then he saw the Stanley Cup rolled onto the ice at Edmonton's Rogers Place. That's when it hit him that this is actually happening. 'That's a special moment,' Jones said. 'I'm just trying to take it all in. Obviously the energy in the building was fantastic. Speaking to the guys about last year, it was one of the loudest buildings they played in last year. Very intense, everything leading up to it.' And then the puck dropped, and the focus was solely back to hockey. 'Really trying to focus on what you can do each shift for the game, kind of visualize and try to keep your heart rate down, really, before the game starts,' Jones said. 'Once that first shift happens, though, you kind of get settled in and just trying to play my game and make plays out there.' Jones has been making big plays for the Panthers since he joined the team in March after being acquired via trade from the Chicago Blackhawks for goaltender Spencer Knight and a swap of draft picks (Florida getting Chicago's fourth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft; Chicago getting a conditional 2026 first-round pick from Florida). The defenseman, a five-time All-Star in his 12th NHL season, is a big reason the Panthers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive year. He fortified their back end, is running the top power play and has shown a knack for making big plays at big times. The change of scenery from a Chicago team deep in the rebuilding stage to a perennial contender in Florida has paid dividends. Seeing the success up close has been a game-changer. Knowing he has a chance to be a contributor to that perennial contender for years to come — Jones is under contract through the 2029-30 season — only helps. 'Definitely revitalized,' Jones said. 'Winning cures all at the end of the day. This team just understands how to win. They understand their system, they understand what they need to do to be successful. It's not going to be perfect; it never is, but we want to give ourselves a chance to win every night and I think we understand how to do that.' It's why Jones and the Panthers are still confident heading into Game 2 against the Oilers despite dropping Game 1 4-3 in overtime. Florida has been in this position before. It has trailed in a series. But there's an understanding that if Florida can play to its strengths — being aggressive on the forecheck, suffocating the opponent in the neutral zone, executing when chances come to them in the offensive zone — that they can flip the series back in their favor. They did that in spurts on Wednesday — particularly in the second period — but got away from it down the stretch. 'I thought we did a lot of good things,' Jones said. 'We went through some video and see the things we can do better through the neutral zone. Maybe a little bit more offensive zone time, some things we look at, but they played a good game. They were solid defensively. They blocked a lot of shots. And we kind of knew that coming in there's not a lot of space out there, not a lot of plays to be made, really. So when we do get those opportunities, try to hold on to the puck and capitalize.' Jones has capitalized this postseason. He has three goals and seven points while being a plus-10 overall through 18 postseason games entering Game 2. He's averaging a team-high 25:16 of ice time per game while contributing both on the power play and the penalty kill in addition to pairing with Niko Mikkola on defense at five-on-five. 'He's been unreal,' Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling said. 'He's so good moving the puck and he's a good skater. Obviously on our power play he's a big key, but defensively he's good. He's got a big frame and good stick. He's been awesome for us.' It took some time to get acclimated to the Panthers' system, especially coming in toward the end of the season when practice time was minimal. A lot of times early on — and even sometimes still — he relied on instinct and muscle memory to make plays and get in the right position. 'Game reps always help, of course, and instinct,' Jones said earlier this season. 'A lot of the situations I've seen them 1,000 times, hundreds of thousands of times probably at this point. But I think it's just about knowing where everyone's at and what's expected of you on the ice so everyone can read off you.' The Panthers did their part to get Jones acclimated. Teammates showed him the way. Panthers coach Paul Maurice assured him he didn't have to do too much to fit in — just play his game, keep it simple. He fit in from the start and is ready to keep the momentum going. 'The first day I came in, talking to Paul and walking around the room on a practice day, you could feel something was different,' he said. 'Everyone understands their task every day, has a goal every day and everyone's really working toward something bigger than just the regular season or an individual game or a goal or a point or something like that. Being in the Final the last two years, they understood what it took to get back here and what it takes to win. Just walking around, it's just special being in that room and being in that environment.'
