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42-538: Guaranteed Rate Field is situated just to the west of the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago's Armour Square neighborhood, adjacent to the more famous neighborhood of Bridgeport . The stadium was built directly across 35th Street from the original Comiskey Park, which was demolished to make room for a parking lot for the new venue. The location of Old Comiskey's home plate is represented by a marble plaque on

84-580: A minority stake of the company to an affiliate of Boston-based private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners . The partial sale was finalized in June 2018. Also in December, a former loan officer sued Guaranteed Rate claiming that he was owed $ 2 million and that executives at the company were manipulating and misreporting financial information for their own benefit. In January 2018, Guaranteed Rate announced that its employees' and customers' personal information

126-600: A practice that has since been followed in several other cities, such as Toronto , and Pasadena . The control cities for the Dan Ryan Expressway are Indiana south, and the Chicago Loop northbound. The first segment of the Dan Ryan, opened on December 12, 1961, and ran between US 12 / US 20 , 95th Street north to 71st Street in Chicago's Grand Crossing neighborhood. It was named after

168-1041: A residential mortgage brokerage in the New York Metropolitan Area . Founded in 1985 by Melissa L. Cohn, the company employed more than 100 home loan professionals and originated loans in New York , Vermont , Massachusetts , Connecticut , Florida and New Jersey . Cohn later sued Guaranteed Rate and CEO Victor Ciardelli for breach of contract and fraud among other complaints but was unsuccessful. Also in 2012, Guaranteed Rate acquired Massachusetts-based Superior Mortgage. In 2014, Guaranteed Rate acquired Sun State Home Loans, Nationwide Direct, and Arbor Mortgage in one deal. It also acquired lender FirsTrust Mortgage in Overland Park, Kansas. In November 2018, Guaranteed Rate announced that it would acquire some assets of Honolulu HomeLoans and its affiliate Hawaii Lending Alliance, in order to expand further into

210-553: Is a total distance of 11.47 miles (18.5 km). The highway was named for Dan Ryan Jr. , a former president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners . On an average day, up to 307,100 vehicles use a portion of the Dan Ryan (2005 data). The Dan Ryan, and its North Side counterpart the Kennedy Expressway , are the busiest roads in the entire state of Illinois . Utilizing an express-local system ,

252-762: The Bishop Ford Freeway (then known as the Calumet Expressway ). During the planning stages it was also known as the South Route Expressway . In 1988–1989, the northern three miles (4.8 km) of the Dan Ryan, known as the Elevated Bridge , were completely reconstructed. In 2006 and 2007, the Illinois Department of Transportation reconstructed the entire length of the Dan Ryan Expressway, including

294-614: The COVID-19 pandemic . 80 home games played at Guaranteed Rate Field in 2021 with 1 played at Field of Dreams . Guaranteed Rate Field has appeared in films such as Rookie of the Year (1993), Major League II (1994), Little Big League (1994), My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), and The Ladies Man (2000). In Rookie of the Year , the stadium played the role of Dodger Stadium , and in Little Big League , it played

336-710: The Chicago White Sox announced a 13-year agreement with Guaranteed Rate to rename their stadium to Guaranteed Rate Field beginning November 1, 2016. At the time, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "There can't be a worse name than Guaranteed Rate Field. Can't be." In 2017, the White Sox and Guaranteed Rate teamed up to create the Guaranteed Impact program, which honors kids who make a positive difference in their community. In August 2020,

378-606: The Robert Taylor Homes ) formerly ran parallel to the expressway on its eastern side from Cermak Road south to Garfield Boulevard. However, nearly all of these buildings have been demolished as part of the CHA 's transformation plan. The Red Line runs in the median of the Dan Ryan. This section of the Chicago "L" opened on September 28, 1969. Chicago pioneered the location of rapid transit line in expressway medians,

420-706: The South Side of the city. It is designated as both I-90 and I-94 south to 66th Street, a distance of 7.44 miles (11.97 km). South of 66th Street, the expressway meets the Chicago Skyway , which travels southeast; the I-90 designation transfers over to the Skyway, while the Dan Ryan Expressway retains the I-94 designation and continues south for 4.03 miles (6.49 km), ending at an interchange with I-57 . This

462-774: The Cactus Bowl and then the Cheez-It Bowl before being rebranded as the Guaranteed Rate Bowl . In concert with the company's rebranding, the game was rebranded as the Rate Bowl in 2024. Also in 2020, the company partnered with the National Hockey League , US Figure Skating , and World TeamTennis as their official mortgage partner. They also sponsored US Figure Skating's National Get Up Day on February 1, 2021. On January 22, 2021,

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504-458: The Dan Ryan has 14 lanes of traffic; seven in each direction, with four of those as express lanes and the other three providing access for exit and on-ramps. Because of its width, the Dan Ryan is very popular with commuters who live south of the Loop, making the road prone to traffic jams during weekday rush hour. The posted directions on the Dan Ryan are different from the actual compass direction of

546-671: The I-90/94 Dan Ryan Expressway. The "Dan Ryan" was under construction in 2006–2007 in hopes of relieving traffic congestion. The ballpark has eight main parking lots. The ballpark has seven main entrances: The main level is accessible only to fans who have a ticket to a seat in the lower level. Notes: 1994 season incomplete due to Players Strike. Only 113 games played. Only 144 games played in 1995 . Only 161 games played in 1997 , 1999 and 2019 . 163 games played in 2008 due to AL Central division tie-breaker game . Only 60 games played in 2020 due to

588-558: The Irvine, California-based company. In May, Guaranteed Rate bought the domain name Rate.com for $ 725,000. In 2017, Guaranteed Rate entered into a joint venture with Realogy Holdings Corp to form Guaranteed Rate Affinity, in which Guaranteed Rate would provide marketing services to Realogy's subsidiaries, including NRT and Cartus, and would take over some assets of its former joint venture partner, PHH Corporation out of New Jersey. In December, Guaranteed Rate announced plans to sell

630-633: The Kennedy split, while I-94 runs north–south until the Marquette Interchange in Milwaukee . Similarly, "east" on 90 and 94 on the entire system is really south through Chicago; the interstates will continue on an easterly path outside of the city. Chicagoans also typically refer to the direction of travel as either "inbound" or "outbound" from the downtown area. Four miles of continuous high-rise housing projects ( Stateway Gardens and

672-654: The Red-Line to get to the games. The series is dubbed the Cross-Town Classic or the Windy City Showdown. ) A new Metra station ( 35th Street ), which helps fans with more accessibility, opened on the Rock Island line in 2011. It is also accessible by CTA bus route #35 (31st/35th Street) and the suburban Pace Guaranteed Rate Field Express shuttle service. Guaranteed Rate is just west of

714-510: The addition of a travel lane from 47th Street to 95th Street . The project was the largest expressway reconstruction plan in Chicago history. The total cost of the project was $ 975 million, nearly twice the $ 550 million original estimate for the project. The entire route is in Chicago , Cook County . Guaranteed Rate Guaranteed Rate Companies , doing business as Rate , is a U.S. residential mortgage company headquartered in Chicago , Illinois . Founded in 2000 by Victor Ciardelli,

756-662: The article, Guaranteed Rate's business dropped by over 50% in 2022 from its high in 2021. In June 2024, the Chicago Tribune reported that 80 ex-employees interviewed by the paper said they had experienced or witnessed persistent verbal abuse, a "sex-driven" culture, and a misogynistic atmosphere at the firm and from Victor Ciardelli. Ciardelli expressly denied these allegations, stating such allegations are “simply not true.” The company “has not, does not, and would not objectify women or put them in uncomfortable personal or professional situations." The Tribune also reported that

798-428: The company had $ 55 billion in funded volume in 2022, down 25% since 2020. As of 2021, the company had more than 10,000 employees and more than 850 offices nationwide with locations in 50 states. As of 2024, the company has shrunk to fewer than 5,500 employees. Guaranteed Rate was founded in Chicago in 2000 by Victor F. Ciardelli III, a native of Oak Brook, Illinois , who now serves as chairman and CEO. Through 2020,

840-450: The company is the third largest retail mortgage lender in the US. Guaranteed Rate Foundation was formed in 2012 to help those in need through difficult times. As of June 2021, the foundation has donated over $ 5 million in charitable grants. In 2013, Guaranteed Rate grew to more than $ 15.9 billion in residential home loans, an increase of $ 1.2 billion over 2012. This moved the company from

882-475: The company signed a 12-race sponsorship deal with Roush Fenway Racing , to fund Ryan Newman 's car through the remainder of the 2020 NASCAR season. They also sponsored Spanish racing driver Álex Palou . In October 2020, the company became the title sponsor of a third-tier college football bowl game played at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona . The bowl has used several names since 2015, being branded as

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924-526: The company was changing its name to Rate, as Ciardelli said 'people have trouble spelling ‘guaranteed’.” In July 2024, the company officially announced that it would rebrand as simply Rate, with Ciardelli explaining that it reflected the company's "new era" of "making the mortgage process smoother, faster and smarter". The new brand will be phased in across its businesses and sponsorships, and "not affect current operations or mortgage loan officer licenses". In 2012, Guaranteed Rate acquired Manhattan Mortgage,

966-569: The company's rating on Glassdoor averaged 2.6 out of 5. In October, Guaranteed Rate partnered with online notary company Notarize to integrate notarization into the online closing process. The company also announced a partnership with Marcus by Goldman Sachs to help customers consolidate debt and fund home improvement projects. Also in 2019, Guaranteed Rate launched a market research platform for potential home buyers to research neighborhood property trends, home prices, demographics, income levels, and school districts. In April 2020, Guaranteed Rate

1008-471: The expressway, which may cause confusion to many travelers. The Dan Ryan for its entire 12-mile (19 km) length runs north–south. However, the Dan Ryan is a part of the larger Interstates 90 and 94, which both run east–west through the United States . Therefore, one who is traveling "west" on I-90/94 is actually driving north on the Dan Ryan as it passes through Chicago; I-90 continues northwest from

1050-715: The facade of the 1st and 3rd base sides of the 300 level. Guaranteed Rate Field can be reached by using the CTA 's "L" Rapid Transit system. The stadium's station stops are Sox–35th for the Red Line and 35-Bronzeville-IIT for the Green Line. The Red Line is also used by Cubs fans to reach Wrigley Field ( Addison Station ) on the North side of Chicago. (When the White Sox take on the Cubs every year, usually in June, many fans will use

1092-477: The fences to make the outfield less symmetrical, and most significantly, the removal of 6,600 seats at the top of the upper deck. The uppermost tier of the park now has a white and black screen behind the top row of seats, and is topped by a flat canopy roof supported by black steel truss supports that obstruct the view of a few seats. The original blue seats were also replaced by forest green seats. The new green and black color scheme, upper-level screen set back from

1134-441: The last baseball-only park built in the majors, in 1973. As originally built, the park was criticized by many fans because of the height of the upper deck. The original architect, HOK Sport (now Populous ), wanted to eliminate the overhang problems present in many stadiums built since the 1970s. With this in mind, the upper deck was set back over the lower deck, and the stands rose fairly gradually. While it gave nearly every seat in

1176-430: The old Comiskey Park was demolished, as suites generate more revenue. Originally called Comiskey Park, the stadium was renamed U.S. Cellular Field in 2003 , after Chicago-based telecommunications company U.S. Cellular purchased the naming rights at US$ 68 million for 20 years. U.S. Cellular would later pay $ 13 million to end the agreement seven years early, saving an estimated $ 10.8 million. The stadium's current name

1218-661: The outer wall and canopy roof are reminiscent of the old Comiskey Park, as well as other classic baseball stadiums. Murals to the interior concourses were also added, a prominent feature of the old stadium. The stadium houses 103 luxury suites located on two levels, as well as 1,822 " club seats " on 300-level mezzanine between the lower deck and upper deck. The club seats receive in-seat wait-staff, and benefit from an enclosed concourse with multiple television viewing areas and bar-style concessions. The stadium has 400 wheelchair-accessible seats, 38 public restrooms , 12 escalators , and 15 elevators . The new suites were one example of why

1260-487: The recently deceased Dan Ryan, Jr. , who was President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners who had worked to accelerate construction of Chicago-area expressways. A year later on December 15, 1962, the 8-mile (13 km) stretch of the Dan Ryan between 71st Street and I-90 / Eisenhower Expressway (now signed as I-290 ) opened to the public as well as a 0.2-mile (0.32 km) stretch that connected it to

1302-583: The role of all opposing ballparks except for Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park . Commercials for the PGA Tour , Nike , Reebok , and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America have been filmed at the park. Dan Ryan Expressway The Dan Ryan Expressway is an expressway in Chicago that runs from the Jane Byrne Interchange with Interstate 290 (I-290) near Downtown Chicago through

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1344-601: The rules. In July, Guaranteed Rate and @Properties launched the joint venture Proper Rate, a Chicago-based independent retail mortgage lender expected to serve as an in-house lender for @Properties. Overall during 2020, Guaranteed Rate originated over 135,000 mortgages with a value of over $ 47,000,000,000. In October 2023, The Wall Street Journal published a report titled "The Mortgage Market Is So Bad Lenders Want Ex-Employees to Give Back Their Bonuses" that detailed Guaranteed Rate's practice of clawing back signing bonuses from loan officers hired in years prior. According to

1386-420: The sidewalk next to Guaranteed Rate Field, with the foul lines painted in the parking lot. The spectator ramp across 35th Street is designed in such a way (partly curved, partly straight but angling east-northeast) that it echoes the contour of the old first-base grandstand. The stadium was the first new major sporting facility built in Chicago since Chicago Stadium in 1929. It was also the last one built before

1428-556: The state. In January 2021, Guaranteed Rate acquired Stearns Holdings, to help the company expand its joint ventures. In February 2021, the company acquired assets of Owning Corporation, a direct-to-consumer mortgage lender. In March 2021, after acquiring AI Foundry of Kodak Alaris , the company launched the mortgage tech company Gateless, which utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. In January 2022, Guaranteed Rate closed Stearns Lending after owning it for one year, laying off 348 employees. In August 2016,

1470-415: The time of the deal's signing. In 2001, extensive renovations were started by HKS Sports & Entertainment Group to make the park more fan-friendly: Renovations were added that were not part of the original plan: 2010 season 2011 season 2012 season 2014 season 2016 season 2018 season 2019 season 2021 season 2022 season 2023 season There are 12 retired numbers on

1512-513: The twelfth-largest retail mortgage lender in the U.S. to the tenth-largest. In 2015, Guaranteed Rate became the eighth-largest retail mortgage lender with volume of more than $ 18 billion in home loans and was named Lender of the Year by Chicago Agent magazine. In March 2016, Guaranteed Rate and one of its loan officers were found guilty in California of diverting loans from Mount Olympus Mortgage, and ordered to pay $ 25 million in damages to

1554-473: The upper level an unobstructed view of the field, it also created one of the highest upper decks in baseball. The first row of seats in the upper deck of the new stadium is as far from the field as the highest row of seats in the upper deck at the old stadium. Due to the field being practically at street level, the original upper deck made the park look like a cookie-cutter stadium from the outside. Fans sitting in this area did not get much chance for relief, as it

1596-512: The wave of new " retro-classic " ballparks in the 1990s and 2000s. A few design features from the old Comiskey Park were retained. The front facade of the park features arched windows. The "exploding scoreboard" pays homage to the original, installed by Bill Veeck at the old park in 1960. The original field dimensions and seating configuration were very similar to those of Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium ) in Kansas City , which had been

1638-518: Was announced on October 31, 2016, after the Chicago-based private residential mortgage company Guaranteed Rate purchased the naming rights in a 13-year deal. It was later revealed that Guaranteed Rate would pay $ 20.4 million over ten years for the 13-year agreement. This translates to an average payment of $ 2.4 million, less than U.S. Cellular's yearly payment of $ 3.4 million as well as below the average MLB naming rights payment of $ 3.6 million at

1680-514: Was in hackers' hands as the result of an email phishing attack. As of October, Guaranteed Rate “[was] bounc[ing] around between the fifth and seventh largest mortgage lender in the [U.S].” In January 2019, The Wall Street Journal revealed Guaranteed Rate's efforts to boost their Glassdoor ratings. According to the article, the company "pressured employees to write positive reviews in order to raise poor ratings, according to interviews with current and former employees." Prior to these efforts,

1722-508: Was one of the few parks in Major League Baseball that did not allow fans sitting in the upper deck to venture anywhere else in the park, such as the lower deck concourse. In response to fan complaints, the stadium has undergone numerous renovations since the 2001 season in order to retrofit the facility to current architectural trends. These changes have included building a multi-tiered concourse beyond center field, adjusting

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1764-617: Was required to pay the federal government a $ 15 million fine to settle a lawsuit brought by a former employee whistleblower who alleged the company pushed its underwriters into endorsing ineligible loans for FHA and VA loan programs and making false statements to "induce the government" to extend insurance coverage. According to the Chicago Tribune , as part of the settlement, Guaranteed Rate admitted that it failed to adhere to self-reporting requirements and certified loans for government insurance that were not eligible. It also admitted to giving FHA underwriters commissions and gifts in violation of

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