As White Sox fans anxiously await the start of the 2026 season, fans received news on the non-baseball front this week. According to multiple reports, Justin Ishbia’s private equity firm, Shore Capital, has agreed to purchase a 47-acre rail yard in the South Loop.
Justin Ishbia set to buy massive South Loop rail yard for potential White Sox stadium https://t.co/RlXqvFcydA
— Crain's Chicago Business (@CrainsChicago) March 18, 2026
Ishbia, who has an agreement in place to buy the White Sox from Jerry Reinsdorf at some point between 2029 and 2034, will be purchasing the property away from Amtrak, and the intended use for the property is not publicly known. Ishbia previous reinforced his intention to keep the White Sox in Chicago, which likely means a new stadium will be needed. Though it’s not a guarantee, this purchase could bring the White Sox dream of a new stadium a bit closer to reality.
The property purchased by Ishbia sits directly across the river from “The 78”, a previously empty lot in the South Loop that will soon be home to the new stadium for MLS’s Chicago Fire. The property is large enough that the Fire’s new stadium doesn’t necessarily rule out the site for the White Sox, and WGN reports that the White Sox are still considering a ballpark on “The 78” site itself. Perhaps the Amtrak site could be used as a parking area, or businesses could move in in the same way Wrigleyville has a heavy presence of entertainment in the area.
Justin Ishbia's takeover hasn't started, but the plans are falling into place
It’ll likely be a few years before Justin Ishbia becomes the controlling owner of the White Sox, but the process of building a new stadium can be lengthy, as demonstrated by the Chicago Bears stadium saga in recent months. The White Sox lease on Rate Field ends following the 2029 season, so it makes sense to get the ball rolling now. The White Sox released renderings of a potential stadium at the site two years ago, sparking excitement at the possibility of a skyline view stadium in a prime location.
With a new owner and a potential new stadium on the horizon, it feels like a new era of White Sox baseball will soon be upon us. The White Sox have undergone a plethora of changes in recent years with the organization moving on from longtime executives Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn in 2023. General Manager Chris Getz has torn the organization down to the studs and built a system that he believes will lead to more sustained success in today’s game.
Now, as we enter the 2026 season, the White Sox will take the field with more optimistic expectations than in the past few seasons. The White Sox are well on their way to wiping off the stink of the previous regime that has categorized them as a “dumpster fire”, and they hope to soon be an organization that other teams wish to emulate.
With a change in management already underway and a change in ownership on the horizon, the dream of a new stadium is just one of the exciting ways that White Sox fans can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.