The White Sox made waves when a Sun-Times report on Wednesday night indicated that the team is seriously considering a new home. The site specifically mentioned in the Sun-Times report is called “The 78,” but for folks outside the city– and even folks who live in the city– that name might not mean much.
If you’re looking for answers as to where, and what, “The 78” is, you’ve come to the right place.
WHERE IS “THE 78” IN CHICAGO?
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For fans worried about the team moving far away, don’t worry, “The 78” is located in the South Loop, bounded by Roosevelt Rd. to the north, Clark St. to the east and the Chicago River on west. It runs to just about Ping Tom Park to the south.
Three CTA lines stop right at Roosevelt and State Street, just a couple of blocks east of the property: the red line, green line and orange lines. Several bus lines also provide close access to the area: the 3, 4, 12, 18, 24, 29, 62, 130, 146 and 157 lines. For fans who want a ride down the river, there is also a water taxi stop at Ping Tom Park.
WHAT IS THE “78”?
The 62-acre area was originally created from a landfill project to straighten the South Branch of the Chicago River that ran from the 1910s to the 1920s. Back then, the space was used as a rail yard. According to “The 78”’s development website, in the 1970s the rail lines were removed and the space was vacant by 1977. Former Chicago mover and shaker Tony Rezko bought the land in 2001 and had plans for mixed-use development, but those plans never went anywhere. Development group Related Midwest bought the property in 2016. They’ve already made plans to develop other big projects on the site, like the University of Illinois’ Discovery Partners Institute.
For everything you need to know about the White Sox’ potential move to the area, check out our coverage here.