White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf meets with Illinois lawmakers about new stadium funding
CHICAGO, Ill. - White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has made his pitch to the state of Illinois for a new stadium.
Reinsdorf met with lawmakers on Tuesday in an attempt to secure public funding for a new stadium in Chicago's South Loop, FOX 32 has confirmed.
This comes after a report from Crain's Business Chicago last week that said Reinsdorf is preparing to ask lawmakers for $1 billion in public funding.
"We recognize discussions about The 78 serving as the future home of the Chicago White Sox have generated a lot of excitement over the potential of the larger project’s positive economic impact," The Chicago White Sox said in a written statement. "We are mindful and respectful of the legislative process and wanted to travel to Springfield to meet personally with legislative leaders. We’re excited to share our vision, and we appreciate their time and hospitality."
Crain's reported that Reinsdorf was preparing to ask Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other state leaders for about $1 billion in public money to build the new White Sox stadium in the South Loop.
Pritzker originally voiced his concerns regarding the new stadium on Feb. 9.
"It looks beautiful and obviously we all want our professional teams to succeed in Illinois," Pritzker said earlier this month. "We need to be careful about how we use public dollars and a private business like a pro team, even if they are beloved by so many people, are nevertheless similar to lots of businesses in the state."
Renderings for the new stadium were released earlier in February, too. These renderings show a wide-open ballpark with a view of the downtown skyline. The Sox iconic pinwheels are present in center field, while the scoreboard is in left field.
Behind that scoreboard, outside the stadium is an open area for fans to congregate.
"We appreciated the time afforded to us by lawmakers in Springfield today," a Related Midwest Spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. "As we shared in the meetings, The 78 is a generational development and an investment in our hometown. It’s personal to us and we are excited about the prospect of delivering the city’s next great neighborhood, while making an historic economic investment that will bring over 10,000 construction jobs and 22,000 permanent jobs to our city and state. The long-term impact will be transformative – creating a new riverfront neighborhood anchored by a state-of-the-art ballpark for generations of fans to enjoy and help enhance Chicago’s place as a top destination."
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