Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, White Sox meet, reportedly over new stadium in South Loop

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson met with the White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf recently, and they are reportedly discussing plans to build a stadium in the South Loop. It's all reportedly an effort by the city of Chicago to make sure the White Sox stay in Chicago for a long, long time.

Johnson and Reinsdorf issued a joint statement to ABC7 Wednesday night, saying they both "met to discuss the historic partnership between the team and Chicago and the team's ideas for remaining competitive in Chicago in perpetuity. The partnership between the City and the team goes back more than a century and the Johnson administration is committed to continuing this dialogue moving forward."

The Chicago Sun-Time reported the team is in "serious" talks to build a stadium at the sprawling 60-plus acre site at Clark and Roosevelt known as "The 78." A source confirmed that report to ABC7 Eyewitness News.

Last August there were rumors the White Sox were reportedly looking into the possibility of moving out of Guaranteed Rate Field when their lease is up in 2029. It wasn't the first time the team has considered leaving Chicago; in 1988, the Sox nearly moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. But then-governor Jim Thompson put together a plan to build a new state-financed ballpark and worked to get it passed by state lawmakers.

Wednesday night the team did not specifically address what the meeting with the mayor entailed.

We've also reached out to the developer, Related Midwest, for comment.