Future White Sox owner Justin Ishbia to buy South Loop rail yard for potential stadium

Chicago White Sox unveil new ballpark food for 2026 season

It's almost time for baseball season and the Chicago White Sox are getting ready both on the field and off with new ballpark eats.

The Chicago White Sox have reportedly secured a new plot of land that ownership could be eyeing for a future stadium.

Crain's Chicago is reporting that Shore Capital has agreed to purchase a 47-acre rail yard in Chicago's South Loop. The acquisition has sparked speculation about a new baseball stadium.

What they're saying:

Shore Capital, Justin Ishbia's private equity firm, is nearing a deal to buy a rail yard in the South Loop from Amtrak. 

Ishbia entered an agreement to take over primary control of the White Sox from Jerry Reinsdorf last summer. Ishbia will take over control of the franchise in 2034, but Reinsdorf has the option to sell the franchise as soon as 2029.

This purchase could be the first step in building a new stadium for the White Sox. However, Shore Capital did not specify to Crain's Chicago that it would be purchasing the rail yard for a new baseball stadium.

Crain's Chicago received a statement from Shore Capital that a potential Northwestern Medicine healthcare facility could be a part of those plans. Ishbia serves on the hospital system's board of directors.

The backstory:

The rail yard is located directly across the river from The 78, which is a megadevelopment site where the White Sox considered building a new stadium at one time.

The Chicago Fire Football Club instead reached a deal to build a new soccer stadium at The 78, and the team officially broke ground on a 22,000-seat stadium earlier in March.

The White Sox have been open about the franchise's pursuit of a new baseball stadium. The Chicago Sun-Times reported in January 2024 the team was considering The 78 for its new stadium, but there were questions about whether The 78 would be too narrow to host a baseball stadium. Crain's Chicago noted the Amtrak rail yard is narrower than The 78.

What's next:

The White Sox's current lease for Rate Field does not end until 2029, well after the 2028 season.