Pickleball, tennis courts joining South Loop's temporary baseball diamond at the 78

The phrase “play ball” will soon refer to much more than baseball at the 78 project in the South Loop.

Developer Related Midwest is adding pickleball, tennis and other sports facilities on the northern portion of the site, according to a company spokesperson. Some courts were already up this week as construction materials and equipment could be seen at the development near Roosevelt Road and Clark Street.

The construction activity follows Related Midwest’s creation of a pop-up baseball field, where Related Midwest and the Chicago White Sox hope to plant a permanent baseball stadium. The diamond, a collaboration with longtime White Sox groundskeeper Roger Bossard, was set up in late August.

“Given the rare opportunity presented by The 78, Related Midwest is exploring all possibilities to unlock its potential and deliver experiences that will be meaningful for the surrounding community and all Chicagoans,” a Related Midwest spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The megadeveloper is partnering with Big City Pickle and Chicago Sport and Social Club on the new sports facilities, which will open in spring 2025. Big City Pickle operates additional pickleball courts in Fulton Market, Gold Coast and Lincoln Yards.

The development’s other major addition is the Discovery Partners Institute, a research facility led by the University of Illinois. DPI will have more specifics related to their development “coming soon,” the spokesperson said.

Search for public funding

Since enlisting Bossard — known as “the Sodfather” — to create the temporary baseball field, Related Midwest has hosted youth baseball and softball teams, among other community groups, according to the spokesperson.

In September, the developer and the White Sox invited legislators, business leaders and other VIPs to the 78 to play with “White Sox Greats and Hall of Famers" and see firsthand the views a new stadium could offer.

The exclusive event was the latest pitch for a new ballpark that would require an estimated $1 billion in public funding, a figure state lawmakers have balked at. Proposed funding sources include a tax increment financing district, an extension of the 2% hotel tax increase used to renovate Soldier Field and a new sales tax overlay district around the 78.

On Oct. 20, the developer said it plans a "Fall Fest at the 78," where neighbors will have a chance to meet Related Midwest and Discovery Partners officials. Visitors will "learn more about The 78 and the impact it will have on Chicago and Illinois" while enjoying other planned activities like a pumpkin patch and "field activations" with the White Sox, according to a flyer shared on Facebook.

The Sun-Times first reported in January that White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Related Midwest President Curt Bailey were in negotiations to build a new ballpark at the 78. Reinsdorf has said he’ll put some of his own money into the project.

When complete, it will be an estimated $7 billion project, according to Related Midwest. The 62-acre site will include affordable housing, green space and a Riverwalk extension to create what would become Chicago’s next — and 78th — neighborhood.

Meanwhile, the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families are kickstarting their 1901 Project — a $7 billion transformation of the area around the United Center into a mixed-use district. The first phase — anchored by a 6,000-seat music hall — could break ground next summer.

Ownership has said the multibillion dollar project will be privately financed, but the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families are “still in the early stages of infrastructure discussions with the city and are in preliminary discussions on the question of tax increment financing for the project,” a United Center spokesperson previously told the Sun-Times.