Daley, Lee Oppose Proposed White Sox Move From Bridgeport to South Loop (Chicago, IL) – Cook County Commissioner John P. Daley and Chicago Ald. Nicole Lee are strongly opposing a newly announced proposal that could move the Chicago White Sox from Bridgeport to the South Loop, calling the plan a “betrayal” of the community that has supported the team for generations.
In a joint statement released Saturday, Sept. 5, Daley and Lee, who represents Chicago’s 11th Ward, criticized Justin Ishbia’s proposed relocation plan following the release of new renderings.
The officials said Bridgeport has served as the White Sox’s home and a center of support for the team for 116 years, with generations of residents attending games and spending money on tickets, merchandise and concessions.
They argued that relocating the team would leave the neighborhood with an empty stadium while potentially bringing an Amtrak maintenance facility into a residential area.
“If approved, this would drive a knife into the heart of this community,” Daley and Lee said in their statement, raising concerns about potential environmental and economic effects associated with the proposal.
The two officials also questioned whether a new stadium development could be completed entirely with private financing. They said any future requests for tax breaks or tax increment financing connected to the proposal should be rejected.
Rate Field, which is about 35 years old, was built with $137 million in taxpayer subsidies, according to the statement. Daley and Lee said they believe the existing ballpark and surrounding area should instead be modernized to benefit both the White Sox organization and the surrounding community.
They said they remain willing to work with the team on a comprehensive redevelopment plan focused on Bridgeport and the existing stadium site.
Daley and Lee also referenced the White Sox ownership’s ongoing plans involving the 1901 Project on the city’s West Side, saying the current ownership has historically maintained communication with the community.
“The 11th Ward is strong, we are organized, and we are adamant,” the officials said. “We urge every official with a say in this plan to stand with us and reject it wholesale.”
Daley, Lee Oppose Proposed White Sox Move From Bridgeport to South Loop
