Pritzker Doesn't Rule Out State Support for New White Sox Stadium
Gov. JB Pritzker speaking at an early childhood education news conference in Rochester Thursday.
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When the Sun-Times reported last week the Chicago White Sox were considering building a new stadium near the South Loop, many conversations directed straight to funding.
The state (though the Illinois Sports Facilities Agency) owns the current Sox stadium, now known as Guaranteed Rate Field, on 35th Street on the south side of the city. The state still owes tens of millions on bonds to pay for the ballpark.
Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf reportedly met with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to discuss the plan. ISFA CEO Frank Bilecki told the Sun-Times the state wasn’t involved in talks so far.
Governor JB Pritzker, who immediately threw cold water on the idea of public financing for a new Chicago Bears stadium was more measured Thursday when asked about the potential of state involvement in a new ballpark.
“There are things government does to support business all across the state: investing in infrastructure, making sure we’re supporting the success of business in Illinois,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference. “As with all of the other, whether its sports teams or other private business, we’ll be looking at whatever they may be suggesting or asking.”
Pritzker said nobody has made an ask of the state yet and repeated his general opposition to public financing for private stadium projects.
The Sox lease at Guaranteed Rate Field runs through 2029.
