Demolition of Northwestern University’s 98-year-old Ryan Field began Friday , a big step that will allow the school to rebuild a newer state-of-the-art stadium for football games and concerts.
The controversial plan has seen residents from Evanston and neighboring Wilmette fight the university and their lawmakers to prevent the commercialization of the new stadium in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
Northwestern announced in late January demolition would begin as soon as Jan. 29 but was delayed until Feb. 16.
Demolition is expected to take from three to four months with construction of the new, $800 million stadium to be completed for the 2026 college football season. The university has yet to announce where the Wildcats will play in the interim.
Residents of both Evanston and Wilmette, just over the city line from the athletic complex Ryan Field sits on, have fought the university’s plans to use the new stadium as a venue for up to six maximum capacity concerts a year. They argued traffic congestion, noise pollution, parking difficulties and other issues would severely impact their way of life. Proponents of the increased use of the stadium point out the city’s dwindling downtown sector could see a boost in activity if more events were held at the stadium.
A narrow 5-4 vote on Evanston City Council, with Mayor Daniel Biss breaking the tie, solidified the university’s ability to host concerts. In exchange, the city will receive a substantial benefits package for the next 15 years providing funds to revitalize downtown, provide racial equity training and a local workforce development program to the city and discretionary funding gathered from event ticket surcharges- among other benefits. Once the package expires, the university will be able to continue hosting events at the stadium.
An agreement between Evanston and Wilmette, approved by both municipalities this week, would help curtail some of the problems the commercialization of Ryan Field could cause nearby Wilmette residents. Many spoke out against the agreement at the Feb. 13 Wilmette Village Board meeting, begging the village to file suit against the Evanston zoning change that allows for concerts at Ryan Field before the deadline expired on Feb. 16.
The board went on to unanimously approve the agreement, saying litigation doesn’t guarantee any protections but the agreement can.
A lawsuit filed by Evanston’s Most Livable City Association states the zoning vote violated the due process of residents and claims some officials “cut a backroom deal.”
Despite this, little pushback was launched about the rebuild with some acknowledging the dilapidated state of the current stadium.
“It’s deteriorating. It’s a tough place to keep secure. It doesn’t have a lot of the amenities that venues across the country have, frankly, for college football so we know it needs something,” said Northwestern’s Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer Luke Figora during the Oct. 30, 2023 Evanston City Council meeting.
Evanston City Council voted 6-2 to approve the demolition and rebuild of the stadium with Councilmembers Clare Kelly and Thomas Suffredin opposing the measure.
Demolition and construction will take place Mondays through Saturdays, according to the university.
