Guaranteed Rate Field, which serves as the home of the Chicago White Sox located on the South Side of Chicago, has been operational since 1991. However, it has reached a stage where it requires significant renovations or an entire replacement.
The team’s owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, who is known for stirring controversy, does not appear to be inclined to solely finance a new stadium. This raises the question: who will bear the financial responsibility for this project?
Reinsdorf and the White Sox have expressed their desire for taxpayers to contribute to the funding of the new ballpark. However, such projects have become increasingly contentious over time.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has made his stance on the matter clear, indicating his lack of support for the proposal during his recent statement on Monday.
I think there’s still a lot of work to be done by the White Sox as well as with members of the General Assembly. But, I will say that I think I’ve been really clear about the fact that the taxpayers dollars are precious. And, the idea of taking taxpayer dollars and subsidizing the building of a stadium, as opposed to, for example, subsidizing the building of a birthing center, just to give an example, does not seem like the stadium ought to have higher priority. Having said that, many of us are sports fans, we all want to see the team succeed. But, these are private businesses. And we’ve seen other teams be able to support their own stadiums privately. That would be ideal here. And I think that’s something that I would encourage, I think the city of Chicago is engaged, as well with them. But I wouldn’t put any number forward. I started out really reluctant. And, unless a case is made that the long-term in the investment yields a long term return for the taxpayers, that we can justify in some way, I haven’t seen that yet. And to be clear, nobody has presented directly to me, my staff has seen a presentation. So I just want you to know that I started out a bit reluctant. Having said that, you know, I’m a fan of all of our teams and I want them to succeed, although I’m a Cubs fan first and foremost. Sorry to all the White Sox fans
This situation may be disheartening for individuals who are hoping for a new stadium on the Southside. Interestingly, the Chicago Bears are also pursuing a new stadium in the same area and are exploring options for public financing. It appears more probable that the Bears will secure funding for their stadium compared to the White Sox. However, there is also a possibility that neither team will receive public funding, which would require them to finance the stadium using their own resources—an outcome that some may view with concern or dismay.