CHICAGO | The 78 Site

[dreamy-developer]

Originally Posted by BrinChi

^ Nor should they. There is nothing wrong with Rate field itself. Attendance isn't struggling because of the stadium; that's pretty obvious. They should re-sign for 10-15 years and evaluate again in 10 years. Save and invest profits in the meantime so they can buy their own next stadium.

Same story applies to the Bears as well. Stay at Soldier Field another 10 years at least.

I don't know if there are obvious more politics considering the neighborhood/area they're in - but I'm surprised the ownership isn't (as we know of) considering proposing a similar project to the UC 1901 Project around the Sox Stadium?

When they proposed The 78 pitch, they gave half-a**ed renderings of a soccer stadium with surrounding development. So it's not like they don't know the potential for the surrounding area.

I don't get why they aren't trying to "Wrigleyville-fy" the area like they're trying to do at UC? Obviously I think it could be really hard to simultaneously do a project like that alongside the 1901 project (money-wise), but it's just interesting the ownership sees the potential of UC and want to replicate what Wrigleyville has going for it, but then reject the idea around the Sox Stadium and just want to ditch it.

[ardecila]

What's the market for it?

Chicago's a big city but there's not bottomless demand for new corporate sportsbars and restaurants, especially when the city is already full of great neighborhood places. We already have a Wrigleyville, I'm don't think anybody wants to have a 2nd one that feels even more sterile and fake.

Any development at 35th/Shields should be housing focused, a real neighborhood and not an "entertainment district". Move all the parking south of the ballpark in a few big garages. Put in some student housing for IIT, a few thousand market-rate apartments, definitely some townhouses, a grocery store etc and let that support a whole new neighborhood that's right on the Red Line. If they get a few bars for Sox fans, that's just a bonus.

[left of center]

Additionally, to build off your comment about limited demand, the UC redevelopment is drawing from the momentum of Fulton Market, and the hope is it will act as a western extension of an already vibrant and highly in-demand neighborhood.

Sox park is in a sea of parking lots, and is nowhere near a destination currently outside of baseball games. The closest thing to a draw in the area is the small cluster of bars and eateries on 33rd St. Building up a year round entertainment district is a very tall order, especially in an area that is mostly residential/industrial, without a lot of commercial businesses to begin with.

[Bonsai Tree]

Originally Posted by ardecila

What's the market for it?

Chicago's a big city but there's not bottomless demand for new corporate sportsbars and restaurants, especially when the city is already full of great neighborhood places. We already have a Wrigleyville, I'm don't think anybody wants to have a 2nd one that feels even more sterile and fake.

Any development at 35th/Shields should be housing focused, a real neighborhood and not an "entertainment district". Move all the parking south of the ballpark in a few big garages. Put in some student housing for IIT, a few thousand market-rate apartments, definitely some townhouses, a grocery store etc and let that support a whole new neighborhood that's right on the Red Line. If they get a few bars for Sox fans, that's just a bonus.

To build off of this- there IS lots of residential demand in Bridgeport. It's a growing neighborhood with significant supply constraints and huge desirability. They could absolutely fill those lots with housing.