Report: DePaul Now Considering Brand New Stadium Near McCormick Place
CHICAGO (CBS) -- On the heels of a report about a possible move to the United Center for DePaul Blue Demons basketball, another account indicates that the university is also weighing far more ambitious plans.
In his Crain's Chicago Business column Friday, Greg Hinz reported that DePaul is considering having a brand new facility constructed near McCormick Place for its basketball games, and that Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pushing the plan.
The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, or McPier, has $100 million in untapped bonding authority that could be used to construct the new stadium, Hinz reported. There is also plenty of land around McCormick Place and its parking lots that could be used, according to Hinz.
Hinz says sources tell him Emanuel is backing the idea because McCormick Place is empty and dark when a big convention is not running, and thus, the surrounding area is lacking restaurants, bars and other amenities that would make it a neighborhood.
Hinz reports his sources also confirm that DePaul is in talks with officials about a move to the United Center. On Thursday, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed reported that discussions have been underway between DePaul and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf about a move to the iconic stadium for the Blue Demons.
The Blue Demons now play at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, formerly known as Rosemont Horizon. In July, Crain's Chicago real Estate Daily reported the team was looking for a new venue for home games, in large part because the remote facility in Rosemont makes it difficult for the team to attract top talent.
Among the rumored locations in the Crain's article was the site of the A. Finkl & Sons Steel plant, at Southport and Armitage avenues along the Chicago River's North Branch. The steel plant is moving to the opposite side of the city, to a new facility at 1355 E. 93rd St.
Also under consideration were the site of the Morton Salt plant at 1357 N. Elston Ave., and a DePaul parking lot on the northwest corner of Sheffield and Fullerton avenues just steps from the Fullerton Red-Brown-Purple Line 'L' stop, Crain's reported in July.
But all of those sites posed zoning and transportation issues, Crain's reported, as well as concerns about neighborhood congestion.
The men's basketball team gained prominence in the 1970s and '80s under legendary coaches such as Ray Meyer and his son, Joey. Under Ray Meyer, the Blue Demons made the NCAA Final Four during the 1978-79 season. The team has been played its home games at the Rosemont Horizon/Allstate Arena since 1980.
