As Councilmember Eleanor Revelle, in her May 3 newsletter, said Northwestern University’s Ryan Field rebuild is tentatively planned for the Land Use Commission’s June 14 meeting, several community and Northwestern student organizations announced an alliance challenging the project.
The Northwestern Accountability Alliance — consisting of Community Alliance for Better Government, Fossil Free Northwestern, Most Livable City Association, Northwestern University Graduate Workers and Students Organizing for Labor Rights — is requesting the university negotiate a community benefits agreement before seeking the city’s approval for the stadium rebuild, according to Most Livable City’s May 3 statement.
Northwestern Accountability Alliance isn’t the first group to form in opposition to the Ryan Field proposal. Most Livable City, an organization of Ward 7 residents, formed in November to voice concerns about the project with its “Ryan Field of Schemes” campaign.
The Northwestern Accountability Alliance’s Statement of Principles and CABG Board Member Trisha Connolly say the desired agreement could consist of items like Northwestern contributing to the city’s reparations program, a comprehensive environmental and social impact plan, free child care facilities for select populations, paying the project’s workers union wages while remaining union neutral and creating long-term employment opportunities for Evanston residents.
Connolly also said the city should consider a payment in lieu of tax, or PILOT program, to ask the university for money based on property value to be used similar to taxes. Connolly says Northwestern has previously given the city money, such as its 2015 Good Neighbor Fund, but the payment conditions were often set by the university, leaving the city with little room on how much money would be received or how it could be spent. Councilmember Clare Kelly has been an advocate for establishing a PILOT program.
“This is a real opportunity for us residents to put down specifics outlining what a (PILOT program) could entail for Northwestern,” Connolly said. “It also gives (Northwestern) an opportunity to be the good neighbor they say they want to be.”
The 2000 Fair Share Referendum had 85.5% of voters supporting asking Northwestern to pay its portion toward public services. These requests come as many say the cost of living in Evanston is increasing.
“Evanston has become really costly so even middle-income people can barely live here anymore,” Kelly previously told Pioneer Press. “People are moving out. Skokie is filled with former Evanston residents — that’s what happens when roughly a third of our land is tax-exempt.”
Northwestern last year said it would not participate in a PILOT program.
“We have a mechanism for pushing money into the city, an example of that is the Good Neighbor Fund,” Northwestern’s Executive Director of Neighborhood and Community Relations Dave Davis said. “The university is not going to make a payment in lieu of taxes because (it doesn’t) pay property taxes due to its nonprofit status.”
Northwestern said the stadium will have a $1.2 billion economic impact on Lake and Cook Counties by 2031, according to a Northwestern-provided economic impact study.
The study estimates football and game day visitors’ economic impact would grow from $50.4 million per year in 2021 to $65 million by 2031. In addition to game day festivities, the study notes the stadium’s increased external, concert events would also bolster Evanston’s economic growth by contributing $36.1 million in new economic benefits by 2031 as well. The study also showed that it could create roughly 3,000 new jobs with 35% of these being targeted toward minority and women-owned businesses.
Despite the potential economic boost, Northwestern students, like freshman Anusha Kumar, are joining Evanston residents in demanding a community benefits agreement. Kumar says while she isn’t “inherently opposed” to the stadium rebuild, it needs to have little to no negative impact on area residents. Kumar also spoke against allowing large concerts at the stadium, which also sparked opposition from Ward 7 residents.
“Students are also members of the Evanston community,” Kumar said. “So as Evanston residents who live here for nine months a year, these decisions are impacting us. It’s not just the divide between us as students versus them as community members — these decisions impact all of us.”
Kumar also brought forth concerns regarding noise pollution and transportation. She says it’s worrisome that possible increased traffic may impact accessibility to Evanston Hospital.
“Northwestern is trying to push this to have a number of additional concerts, which is really the concern here, along with the changes to the zoning, which is another big concern, but the traffic and noise can also disrupt people’s daily lives,” Kumar said.
Connolly told Pioneer Press she hopes the university will negotiate an agreement before official city conversations begin. She says this is in part to give residents more time to educate themselves and reach their City Council representative.
While the university held a community forum and attended ward meetings, Connolly said she found these interactions focused on the project’s positive impacts like “business opportunities,” which to her came off as a “sales pitch.”
She said the university needs to provide a “balance (of information) and recognize the concerns being brought forward.”
Connolly said the alliance is currently centered around Ryan Field but will re-evaluate its mission once Ryan Field initiatives are underway. She says the group would have to focus on holding Northwestern accountable for adhering to the community benefits agreement if one is agreed upon.
Revelle said she plans on hosting a special topic ward meeting later this month “where university representatives can discuss the details of (their) applications and answer (resident) questions.”
Corey Schmidt is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.