The potential deal for the 47-acre rail yard was first reported by Crain\u2019s Chicago Business.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very smart move by Justin Ishbia,\u201d said Marc Ganis, a Chicago-based sports marketing consultant, comparing it to the Chicago Bears\u2019 2023 acquisition of Arlington Park<\/a>\u00a0as a possible site for a new football stadium. \u201cEven if the site is not used for the White Sox, it could be an option. One of Justin\u2019s great advantages as an owner is liquidity, and the ability to create options for the team when he owns it, or even when Jerry Reinsdorf still owns it.\u201d<\/p>\n Securing the approvals needed for a new baseball stadium and arranging financing for what could be a more than $1 billion project will take years. Ishbia\u2019s firm confirmed the Amtrak deal, but so far it\u2019s mum about the possibility of a replacement for the South Side\u2019s Rate Field, and instead touted a potential partnership with one of the city\u2019s leading hospitals.<\/p>\n \u201cShore Capital Partners is under contract to acquire the Amtrak rail yard and has begun early planning for a mixed-use development on the site,\u201d said Sarah Hamilton, a spokesperson for Ishbia. \u201cAs part of the vision for the district, Shore is exploring with Northwestern Medicine a potential healthcare facility and medical innovation hub.\u201d<\/p>\n Northwestern Medicine said making a final decision on such a large project is a long way off, but a South Loop site could play a role in the health care system\u2019s long-term strategy to further expand services beyond its flagship Streeterville locations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are in the early stages of discussions about a potential health care facility as part of this development,\u201d said Northwestern Medicine spokesperson Christopher King. \u201cConsistent with our recent expansions<\/a> in neighborhoods such as Bronzeville and Old Irving Park, we continue to explore opportunities to bring world\u2011class, compassionate care closer to where our patients live and work. This potential project would allow us to further expand our footprint in the South Loop.\u201d<\/p>\n Amtrak would need to relocate it operations on the rail yard in order for redevelopment to take place. \u201cAmtrak is pursuing all available opportunities to deliver a larger and improved Midwest maintenance facility that would bring rail assets into a state of good repair, enable faster train turnarounds, and enhance on\u2011time performance,\u201d spokesperson Marc Magliari said in a statement.<\/p>\n Ishbia has an estimated net worth of nearly $6 billion, according to Forbes. In 2023, he and his brother bought a majority stake in the NBA\u2019s Phoenix Suns and WNBA\u2019s Phoenix Mercury. Ishbia also owns lakefront property in Winnetka, where he is building<\/a> a 68,344-square-foot mansion. The project was initially opposed<\/a> by some village residents, who claimed Ishbia\u2019s original plan would have cut off public beach access.<\/p>\n Reinsdorf has explored several possible options for a new White Sox home, including a publicly financed stadium at The 78, a 62-acre riverfront site between Roosevelt Road and 16th Street. The team published renderings<\/a> of their vision for a new riverfront stadium at The 78 in 2024, but although the design won a lot of praise, Gov. JB Pritzker and many state legislators balked at the possible $1 billion cost to taxpayers.<\/p>\n That reluctance was a big disappointment for developer Related Midwest, which controls The 78. Plans to transform the vacant former rail yard into Amazon\u2019s HQ2 headquarters fell through, and the developer struggled for years<\/a> to find tenants. It finally secured an agreement in June with Joe Mansueto, the founder and executive chairman of Chicago-based investment research firm Morningstar, to build a privately financed, $750 million stadium for the Chicago Fire soccer team on the north end of the property. Mansueto bought the team in 2019.<\/p>\n![\"Amtrak's](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ctc-l-amtrak-railyard15.jpg\")
Amtrak’s 14th Street Coach Yard, right, operates on March 18, 2026, along the South Branch of the Chicago River south of Roosevelt Road, across from The 78 development. (Brian Cassella\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n