Could be nothing, or it could be something, but a soil sampler was spotted last week at Amtrak’s 14th Street rail yard in the South Loop, a potential site for a new baseball park for the Chicago White Sox. Of course, it is definitely something, because whether or not it becomes a White Sox destination, there are still redevelopment possibilities here. Everyone will want to know what’s going on beneath the surface, and it’s important to cover all the bases.
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
The sampling rig is likely doing two things. First, it’s drilling samples to determine what materials lie at what depths, like where does top fill become clay, and where does the clay become sand, and so on. is there groundwater down there, especially considering this portion of the nearly 50-acre site is right next to the South Branch. The results can also determine how soft or firm the materials are and whether they’ll compress under the weight of a structure.
Second, there are environmental aspects to be tested. Especially on an industrial site like a rail yard and its heavy machinery and locomotive traffic, checking for residual presence of fuel, oil, lubricants, and other contaminants is essential before starting a redevelopment project. So it is likely that multiple samples will be taken from around the site, not just this one instance we happened upon, and sent off to a lab for examination.
Speculation abounds, but this could be a step towards another sports stadium located directly across the river from the Chicago Fire’s construction of McDonald’s Park. We’ll keep an eye on it.
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Whatever the case, it’d be cool to see this area redeveloped. However I don’t understand what the issue is with Rate Field, isn’t it relatively new?
Agreed, I was thinking the best part of this would be that area getting a new identity and becoming more urban as it should be. It would encourage more redevelopment of those box stores and hopefully not just be a bunch of parking like Rate field
Relative to Wrigley? It is the 8th oldest ballpark in the league at this point. As a Bridgeport resident I do hope they stay in place, but this certainly wouldn’t be a bad 2nd choice. Much better view but not quite as close to transit.
Intriguing! Thanks for the undercover/aboveground sleuthing.
It would be great if the current White Sox stadium was paid for before they go anywhere else.
They are not going anywhere until after 2032 (when the debt is scheduled to be paid off) because developing this site is not possible until multiple other bits of infrastructure are relocated.
Even the most aggressive & optimistic version of that is after 2032 (likely after 2035 at this point), so they are at least talking about an extension of the current lease in the short term.
Rate field has about 50M in bond debt, scheduled to be paid off by 2032. They will certainly be there until 2032.
I really don’t get the need for a new White Sox stadium. The existing location could be great if ownership simply invested more in the surrounding neighborhood to make it more vibrant. So much potential on those surrounding parking lots. Look what they are already doing around the United Center. Wish Ishbia’s money that should be no problem at all.
The problem is that with Ishbia’s money his aspirations are larger than anywhere other than downtown adjacent.
With great money comes great ego.
You can’t build a great stadium next to public housing projects. Let’s not pretend that moving to a neighborhood with 3x the median income, on the doorstep of downtown, with plenty of public transit options, isn’t a better move.
I would love to see the Rate Field lots be redeveloped like United Center, but they’re just looking at how much more money they’d make in this location and it makes sense. It’s also a lot different from United Center which isn’t just a convenient spot, it’s near the West Loop development pushing west which all together is where the most development is happening in the city
The currents Sox ballpark was paid for in 2021
Soldier Field 2003 remodel is what hasn’t been paid for yet
That happens in 2033
There are a lot of opportunities from this development. Amtrak needs a new yard and it’s financially advantageous to have someone interested in their old property. It may be easier to redevelop the old (current) site without having to work around a baseball stadium (and the parking/traffic issues is may present). This would be a great opportunity to connect the Loop/West Loop better to the south side of Chicago.
It would be sad for the Rate Field area which has potential but this area does have a lot more potential economically and it would be so much better for that pocket of South Loop which is just box stores and wasted space near the Loop
From Crain’s Chicago Business 8/14/26
Amtrak’s Midwest modernization overhaul received nearly $700 million in federal funding today that will help relocate the passenger rail giant’s maintenance facility to Bridgeport, clearing the way for Chicago White Sox owner-in-waiting Justin Ishbia’s plan for a mixed-use project along the Chicago River.
The funding is key to opening up a massive tract of land near where Ishbia plans to combine Amtrak’s 47-acre rail yard at 14th Street with a 20-acre BNSF Railway-owned yard for a megadevelopment, initially anchored by a medical campus, that could eventually add a new White Sox stadium.
Bears stadium? Surely a better location than Hammond, or Arlington Heights for that matter.
Very good spot on! Monitoring activities in and around Chicago 78 via Roosevelt/Canal TIF district is wise. Amtrak property owners are performing the necessary tasks for potential land development. We in Greater Englewood know sites and sector has an indirect impact on our economic future via CREATE Program.
With 2032 as a key date for the Sox future activity now makes complete sense. Is anything i suspect those working this for the Sox are feeling the pressure of the calendar. Separately, it does not feel like Rate Field’s loss will be mourned, in the event they do actually move .