CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The idea of a new White Sox stadium in “the 78” in the South Loop has the backing of a powerful labor organization.
"The 78" area is bordered by Roosevelt Road to the north, Clark Street to the east, 16th Street to the south, and the South Branch of the Chicago River to the west.
The Chicago Federation of Labor’s president Bob Reiter calls the idea very exciting not just for Sox fans like himself, but for the city.
He tells Crain’s Business the new stadium would provide 10,000 construction jobs and 22,000 permanent ones. Concessions vendors are unionized at Guaranteed Rate Field and labor leaders expect them to be at any new park.
“It means a lot of jobs, it means a great asset for the city to market to visitors. Not just the stadium, but also the other amenities that will be built out in the neighborhood and the way it would provide connectivity from the Near South Side by Chinatown up into the Loop.”
Reiter said the site would give Chicago another marketing opportunity and a way to connect neighborhoods. Reiter has met with Related Midwest, the company that owns the property and calls them a good union developer.
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