CHICAGO -- The White Sox are in discussions about the possibility of building a new baseball-only ballpark on a parcel in the South Loop of Chicago known as “The 78,” according to a report from the Sun-Times Thursday.

Sources told the newspaper negotiations are “serious” for the potential site at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street owned by Related Midwest. The White Sox issued no comment on the matter, but Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf issued the following joint statement in response to the questions:

“We met to discuss the historic partnership between the team and Chicago and the team’s ideas for remaining competitive in Chicago in perpetuity.”

The White Sox current lease at Guaranteed Rate Field -- located in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago and owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority -- expires after the 2029 season. The model for this new ballpark could be comparable to the Braves' Truist Park at The Battery in Atlanta, as the baseball facility would stand at the center of various entertainment options in the neighboring area.