Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday said they remained unmoved over the prospect of public funding for a new White Sox stadium a day after the team and real estate developers hosted an event that included a Chicago River cruise to the proposed site for a new ballpark. The public relations ploy by the Sox and developer Related Midwest gave the handful of legislators who attended a chance to see renderings of a ballpark on The 78 property along the river south of Roosevelt Road and hobnob with former Sox stars Ozzie Guillen, Bo Jackson, Harold Baines and Ron Kittle. While some lawmakers acknowledged being impressed by the presentation and the site, where team groundskeeper Roger Bossard’s crew has carved out a makeshift diamond, several said they remain skeptical about the use of public money for such a project.
“We say ‘no’ because we all want a shiny new car,” said state Rep. Marcus Evans, a Democrat from Chicago’s South Side who is part of House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s leadership team. “Shiny new cars don’t move me.
It’s all about the finance.” The White Sox proposal for taxpayer money is a tall order for a team that has lost 100 games for the second straight season, and comes at a time when the Chicago Bears have also appealed for help from lawmakers to pay for a new football stadium that would cost more than $3 billion before infrastructure costs. In addition, some lawmakers have said any conversation on public funding for pro sports stadiums ha.