THE SIDELINES : Hawks-Bulls Prod Illinois on Arena

The owners of the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls plan to blitz the Illinois General Assembly this week for help in building a hockey-basketball palace on Chicago’s West Side.

William Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf wanted to make their case three weeks ago, but were held up by Mayor Richard M. Daley, who wanted assurances that 70 families to be displaced by the new arena would be adequately compensated, The Chicago Tribune reported today.

The $110-million arena would seat 22,000 people and accommodate 7,000 cars on a lot directly south of the current Chicago Stadium. Wirtz and Reinsdorf are seeking a state subsidy to build the arena, the Tribune said. Unlike the new White Sox stadium on Chicago’s South Side, the Hawks-Bulls arena would be privately financed.