Chicago Residents and Leaders Protest Proposed White Sox Stadium Relocation and Amtrak Facility
Residents and elected officials in Chicago's Bridgeport, Chinatown, and Armour Square neighborhoods are protesting a proposal to move the Chicago White Sox from Guaranteed Rate Field and establish a large Amtrak railroad maintenance facility nearby. The protest, held at 35th Street and Shields Avenue, highlighted community concerns about being blindsided by the plan, which was announced in August. Ald. Nicole Lee (11th Ward) stated that the community feels disrespected and fears the negative impact of a 24-hour maintenance facility in a residential area, citing potential pollution from Amtrak trains. The Amtrak plan, valued at $900 million, would free up land for Justin Ishbia, a minority owner of the White Sox, to build a new riverfront stadium at 14th Street. Ishbia's proposal, called 'The Railyards,' includes a new White Sox ballpark on Amtrak's current maintenance site near the Chicago River, alongside a mixed-use campus primarily for healthcare, occupied by Northwestern Medicine. Ishbia, who purchased... 
