The Evanston City Council will convene on Monday to vote on plans to rebuild Northwestern University's Ryan Field.
Although the proposal has received some community support, a number of residents have expressed opposition about renovations and the possibility of hosting concerts at the open-air venue. Northwestern in late October pledged $100 million in donations to the Evanston community over the next 10 years if the proposal to host concerts is approved, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
A few weeks earlier, the Evanston Land Use Commission voted 7-2 against a zoning amendment that would allow concerts and similar events at the planned stadium. Northwestern in Sept. 2022 unveiled the estimated $800 million project, which would demolish the 97-year-old bowl-style arena and replace it with a differently designed stadium.
The new venue would have around 35,000 seats, compared to the 47,000 currently at Ryan Field. Multiple residents have voiced concerns around the potential for concerts, specifically noise pollution, traffic and overcrowded street parking.
The Most Livable City Association, which is against rezoning to permit concerns, said most people appear to support the plan overall - as long as Northwestern stands by its community benefits agreement to help the community.
The group contends the project doesn't benefit the city enough, and as a result, is calling for Monday's vote to be delayed.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
