Demolition of Northwestern University’s 98-year-old Ryan Field began Friday, a big step that will allow the school to build a 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 Friday.
The demolition permit was awarded to Northwestern by the city on Feb. 8 after the university had fulfilled all requirements, according to a city representative.
“These requirements included obtaining a Cook County Environment and Sustainability demolition permit, as well as disconnection sign-offs from all utilities,” Evanston spokesperson Cynthia Vargas said. “Furthermore, they were to fulfill all the conditions mentioned in the construction management plan and Ordinance 108-O-23, which grants permission for the demolition and construction of Ryan Field.”
Northwestern did not respond to questions regarding the demolition delay.
Demolition is expected to take three to four months with construction of the $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 5-4 vote by 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 money 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 Friday.
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 seen 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 Council members Clare Kelly and Thomas Suffredin opposing the measure.
Demolition and construction will take place Mondays through Saturdays, with weekday work hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday work hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the university.
