Comiskeyville

A 1987 illustration suggesting how a new stadium for the Chicago White Sox, dubbed Armour Field, would have looked with development close by instead of parking. (Art by Rael Slutzky.)

In previous entries in my series of how to heal the gaping wound in Chicago’s urban fabric that is the massive parking crater at Guaranteed Rate Field, I discussed why acres of surface parking that sits unused ¾ of the year is bad, brainstormed some ideas for “activating” the lots when the Sox aren’t playing, and even outlined an idea for converting some of the parking to a “festival park” that could host some of the city’s music and cultural festivals. And so for my final installment, I want to discuss the most ambitious alternative: redeveloping the acres of parking as a true neighborhood.

The original Comiskey Park coexisted almost cheek by jowl with the rest of the Armour Square* neighborhood, much the way Wrigley Field still does today with its neighbors in Wrigleyville. Examining views from HistoricAerials.com, we can see that as far back the 1930s, the stadium was flanked by vacant lots used for parking, but the area south of 35th Street was fully developed. Starting in the ’60s, that land was demolished to provide parking (and probably also to eliminate “blighted” structures). When the new Comiskey Park was built in 1991, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority clearcut the remaining buildings; the current stadium sits on their land, while the old Comiskey Park became more parking.

But it didn’t have to be that way.

Even as the team charged forward with a suburban-style stadium, another group proposed something novel — a deliberately old-fashioned stadium surrounded by new urban development. The concept placed the stadium (called “Armour Field”) atop the existing Armour Square Park, then used the footprint of the old stadium’s field for a new “Comiskey Park” — a green space surrounded by low-rise buildings.

This concept for Armour Field provided for a new stadium atop the old Armour Square Park, and replaced it with a public park where the old stadium was. Today’s Guaranteed Rate Field would be located at the extreme bottom of this view.

This design foreshadowed the retro-style ballparks that would become all the rage in the ’90s and beyond, starting with Oriole Park at Camden Yards, generally considered the first of that type. The field would have had a unique shape, and fans would have had a direct view of the grand Chicago skyline (although perhaps not quite so grand as the fanciful one presented below).

A concept image of the interior of Armour Field. Note the apartment buildings peeking over the top of the bleachers, Wrigley Field-style. (Art by Rael Slutzky.)

What we got instead was new Comiskey Park, as charming as an airport terminal, cut off from the city, and inexplicably facing southeast, toward the freeway and public housing towers. With the advent of Camden Yards, this design quickly became passé, and virtually every ballpark built since has followed the retro-classic model.

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Now, too much time has passed for the exact plan for Armour Field to be used, but it would be a useful reference. A master plan could prioritize which lots to redevelop first, where to place public space, where to allow residential construction and where to locate entertainment-focused businesses for visitors.

It’s easy to look at the parking map and start filling in the gaps — some townhouses on Lot G, condos on the northern ends of Lots A and C, sports retail and bars along 35th Street — but as much as I flatter myself an autodidact urban planner, I am not a professional and I don’t want to overdetermine how it would look. Still, you get the picture.

An architectural model of the proposed Armour Field and Comiskey Park looking northeast. Note the lack of surface parking but the abundant low-rise buildings, perfect for retail, restaurants, and apartments.

Admittedly, not everyone would be thrilled with losing their parking. Many fans have gotten used to the idea of tailgating at Sox games, and taking the ‘L’ wouldn’t be the same. It also might be more difficult for the Sox to launch fireworks after home runs during evening games, although one might argue that anyone moving next to the stadium knows what they’re getting themselves into. And, it should be noted, even the Armour Field proposal appears to have included plenty of parking — in garages tucked away, preserving the best sites for development.

But we’re talking about 70 acres of surface parking today. The greater good is to return that land to the tax rolls, or at least help retire the ISFA’s outstanding bonds. Besides—building a “Comiskeyville” will be a lot more fun.

*Although the stadium is often identified as being in Bridgeport, it is technically in the Armour Square neighborhood area.