Residents Launch 'Field Of Schemes' Campaign Over New Ryan Field Plans

EVANSTON, IL — A group of Evanston residents are voicing concerns over Northwestern University's proposal to redevelop the 96-year-old Ryan Field.

Members of the newly formed Most Livable City Association announced plans for a public awareness campaign dubbed, "Field of Schemes."

According to representatives of the group, Northwestern has downplayed the costs to the community of it plans to hold 12 concerts a year at the stadium.

“Northwestern has an opportunity to show it is a good neighbor. The university should heed the community’s long-standing concerns about large-scale commercial events and alcohol sales at those events,” Ken Proskie, who lives near Ryan Field, said last week in a statement.

“Twelve stadium concerts per year equals one per week in the summertime. Just a few years ago, Northwestern said they would not try to rezone the stadium for any commercial events," Proskie said. "In fact, when I moved to my home in 1985, Northwestern personally told me I shouldn’t worry because the zoning code protects the neighborhood.”

Under plans unveiled in September, Northwestern would demolish the existing 47,000-seat stadium and replace it with a 35,000-seat stadium.

The privately financed project is being funded, in part, by a portion of billionaire couple Pat and Shirley Ryan's record-breaking $480 million contribution.

University officials are anticipated to seek a zoning text amendment, liquor licensing code change and planned development approval from the Evanston City Council by summer 2023, according to a presentation about the stadium redevelopment project to a 7th Ward meeting last month.

An anticipated project timeline calls for demolition to begin as early as fall 2023 with plans for the new stadium to be complete by fall 2026. While the final estimated price tag has not been calculated, it is expected to be about $800 million.

Fiona McCarthy, another association member who lives near Ryan Field after moving out of Wrigleyville, said in a statement that Northwestern's proposal would drastically change the neighborhood and put its children at risk.

"We knew when we moved here there would be a handful of home games," said McCarthy. "We did not know Northwestern, a non-profit university, would try to rezone the stadium to profit from massive, alcohol-fueled concerts and nighttime entertainment."

Consultants hired by Northwestern produced an economic impact study suggesting the amount of taxes generated for the city by the stadium would rise from $1.4 million a year currently to $5.2 million in 2026.

The university's proposal would also generate an additional $5.7 million in taxes to other public bodies, according to the report from the Kansas City-based firm Tripp Umbach, which projected the vast majority of the additional annual tax revenue would come from special events.

Concerns raised by members of the residents' association include: noise and light pollution from concerts and other events, intoxicated drivers, parking, the potential for decreased event-day traffic at local retailers and "Northwestern’s failure to shoulder any of the community’s growing property tax burden to fund essential city services and schools, despite carrying on for-profit business activities."

Most Livable City Association representative David DeCarlo described Northwestern's plans as an attempt to turn Ryan Field into a "tax-exempt booze and entertainment center."

“Far from offering a fair deal to the taxpaying residents and businesses of our community, only Northwestern will be enriched by hosting commercial events at its new stadium. It’s a cash grab,” DeCarlo said in a statement.

University representatives, who have started their own petition drive in favor of their "plan to build an accessible world-class community asset that reduces congestion, mitigates noise and light pollution, and brings significant economic benefits to Evanston," have cited the reduced capacity, reduction in noise and light pollution from an overhead canopy and an underground loading and service dock.

"To ensure the financial viability of the new stadium, the University is considering hosting a limited number of concerts each year," university officials said in September. "The University is not proposing a specific number of such events at this time, as it continues to fully analyze what is required for the stadium’s financial viability, and intends to work closely with the City of Evanston, residents and community partners in determining the optimal number of concerts per year."

According to the 7th Ward presentation, Northwestern's plans will first undergo zoning analysis by city staff before submitting a planned development application. It then goes before the staff Design and Project Review Committee for comments, the Land Use Commission for a recommendation the City Council's Planning and Development committee, which could then advance the plan to the City Council for a final vote on the plans.

In order to sell alcohol at the redeveloped stadium, Northwestern has proposed a chance go the city's liquor licensing code that would allow alcohol sales and service to general admission ticketholders. It would then need to be issued a liquor license by the Evanston Liquor Control Review Board, which is chaired and appointed by the mayor.

Currently, the university is only allowed to serve alcohol inside Welsh-Ryan Arena and stadium club and other specified areas of Ryan Field.

A pilot program launched in November 2019 that allowed for for-profit events at Ryan Field and Welsh-Ryan Arena was terminated by an 8-1 vote in June 2021. Only then-2nd Ward Ald. Peter Braithwaite, who now works for Northwestern as director of procurement diversity and community engagement, votedin favor of extending it.

Several upcoming public meetings and town hall events are scheduled for the month to discuss the project.

• 9 to 11 a.m., Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 from 9 to 11 a.m. Northwestern University representatives are scheduled to discuss the project at Anderson Hall, 2701 Ashland Ave., with parking available in the east parking lot.
• 3 p.m. on Dec. 8, Evanston Chamber of Commerce and Northwestern University are hosting an information session and discussion aimed at questions and concerns relating to the local business community.
• 7 p.m. Dec. 15, 7th Ward Ald. Eleanor Revelle is hosting a third special topic meeting about the proposed new stadium on Zoom starting at 7 p.m.

Related:

• Billionaire Couple Breaks Northwestern Record With $480 Million Donation
• Northwestern Unveils Plans For New Smaller, Version Of Ryan Field
• Renovated Ryan Field To Generate More Than $1.2 Billion For Evanston, Consultants Suggest