$800M Stadium Renovation 'Right Thing' For Evanston: NU President

EVANSTON, IL — Northwestern University, already facing a firestorm of criticism over hazing allegations made by former athletes, is moving ahead with an $800 million renovation of the school’s football stadium, saying it’s the “right thing to do.”

In a letter posted on the university website on Thursday night, Northwestern President Michael Schill said the renovation of Ryan Field is a “generational decision” that is tied to the school’s commitment to student-athletes. However, Schill also said that the project will move forward with modifications to its original zoning proposal.

Schill said that the facility will cap the number of concerts the renovated stadium will host to six per year and will make additional changes to the proposed usage and capacity of the plazas that will be part of the multi-use facility. According to a group opposing the project, the school had originally planned to host 10-12 concerts a year — a fact that the group said was being downplayed by the school. The group referred to the Ryan Stadium renovation project as a "Field of Schemes."

Schill also said Thursday that the school is no longer seeking an unlimited number of events that would draw at least 10,000 people as a further change to its original zoning plan.

“While we believe the potential changes represent meaningful accommodations for our neighbors, we do not believe the community aspects and economic benefits of the new stadium will be impacted,” Schill wrote.

Local residents have voiced their concerns about how expanding the stadium’s use beyond football will affect the facility’s surroundings. Schill said that the decision to alter the zoning proposal was made after ongoing engagement with the Evanston community.

The plan is scheduled to go before the Land Use Commission next week, Schill said.

However, in a statement issued in response to the plan, David DeCarlo, the president of the Most Livable City Association, again took exception to the stadium project.

“Northwestern knows it is losing the battle of public opinion. So they sprung this updated proposal less than a week before the Land Use Commission hearing with their characteristic stealth," DeCarlo wrote. "Still seeking a radical zoning change, and failing to address environmental, financial, and labor concerns with the stadium rebuild, this ‘offer’ is nothing but a fig leaf in NU’s quest to remake entire neighborhoods and disrupt life in Evanston and beyond.”

Concerns have also been raised in recent weeks by residents who have called on the university and the Board of Trustees to halt the project in the wake of the ongoing hazing scandal. Hazing allegations brought by former Northwestern athletes have led to the filing of more than a dozen lawsuits by athletes and led to the firing of longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Schill acknowledged in the letter on Thursday night that he has been asked whether “recent events” have changed the school’s commitment to move ahead with the Ryan Field renovations. Schill, who has not spoken publicly about the controversy and who has only granted one interview to the student newspaper, The Daily Northwestern, said that he has shown through his actions that the school is committed to the well-being of Northwestern athletes.

“As I have stated repeatedly, hazing has no place at Northwestern, and I am confident the independent review we have asked former United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch to conduct will help us determine how best to ensure our athletics program is accountable and reflects the University’s mission and values as a leading academic institution,” the university president wrote on Thursday.

He said the school now also needs to commit to the redevelopment of Ryan Field, which is being funded largely through the largest single gift in university history by donors Pat and Shirley Ryan totaling $480 million. The historic gift is tied directly to the stadium renovation project, which means that the private donation would not be made if the current stadium is not demolished and rebuilt.

Schill said that the stadium is quickly decaying and said that it is important for the university to address the stadium’s condition. But in announcing the changes to the zoning proposal, Schill said Northwestern is willing to make several additional financial moves to benefit the community.

Under a revised plan, Schill said the school will:

• Guarantee a minimum of $2 million in annual tax and fee revenue to the City of Evanston tied to events at the new stadium. This number has the potential to increase depending on the number of events being held each year, Schill said.
• The University is committing to applying a ticket surcharge to concerts at Ryan Field that will generate an additional $500,000 in revenue annually to support Evanston Public Schools.

• The school is also committing to making an additional $250,000 annually to support a signature Evanston/Northwestern event that will benefit our entire community as directed by city leadership.

In short, Schill called the renovation project the “right thing to do for Northwestern and the residents of Evanston.”

“I recognize that we are facing significant challenges that go beyond the new stadium. Those challenges require extraordinary care, time, and healing,” Schill wrote. “I firmly believe this rebuild will help us create an opportunity to build toward a positive and exciting future where we do what we do best at Northwestern — bring people together and positively impact communities.”

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