Frequently Asked Questions

• For construction related questions, members of the public can use the City of Evanston’s 311 system.
• The 311 system is the preferred source for the most up-to-date information. However, individuals may also call the Central Street Consortium directly at (847) 257-3282 for immediate assistance with urgent matters during non-business hours.
• Explore additional ways to stay informed about the project on the Contact Us page.

As part of our effort to minimize the impact of construction work and give back to the community throughout the build, Northwestern and the Central Street Consortium have several resources available to stadium neighbors and Evanston residents.

Coworking space available to stadium neighbors

We understand the noise profile of the project can be distracting at times. To continue to strengthen its partnership with our neighbors, Northwestern’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Relations, has secured space at the Office Depot/Office Max located at 2722 Green Bay Rd. in Evanston for any neighbor who needs a quiet space to work. For more information, please contact Shayla Butler at shayla.butler@northwestern.edu.

Career and community events

The Central Street Consortium regularly hosts events to engage the Evanston community in the project to rebuild Ryan Field and to learn more about careers in the construction industry. Browse upcoming events, and view presentation materials from past events at RebuildRyanField.com.

Meet us for office hours

A member of the Central Street Consortium team will be at the will-call ticket office in Welsh-Ryan Arena at 2705 Ashland Ave. from 9 to 11 a.m. each Wednesday. CSC representatives also will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Wednesday at the CSC Resource Center at 1910 Greenwood Ave. in Evanston. Neighbors are welcome to come chat about special programs and construction career opportunities and to learn more about local businesses.

No. Zero taxpayer dollars are needed to build and maintain the new Ryan Field and plazas.

The University is committed to creating economic opportunities for minority-owned, woman-owned and local Evanston businesses and residents. The target for total subcontracted spending with local, minority-owned and woman-owned businesses is 35%, with priority given to businesses and individuals located in Evanston. 

As of October 2024, the University is well on its way to meeting that goal, with $133 million contract awards to date having gone to minority- and women-owned businesses. Of those funds, $27 million has gone to local businesses including Continental Electric, Ozinga and Illinois Masonry.

If you are a potential vendor or employee applicant, please access our “Opportunities for Vendors” form or “Opportunities for Job Seekers” form.

• Historically, stadiums exist for large capacity events, and Ryan Field was originally built for this purpose. Large capacity, event-only stadiums are now out-of-date. 
• The new Ryan Field will be designed for a maximum capacity of 35,000 people. With 12,000 fewer seats, the new stadium will provide a more intimate setting than the old Ryan Field. 
• It will include community plazas, more green space and significant landscape buffers between the stadium and surrounding neighborhoods. 

• The stadium’s overall height will be lower than it was previously — about 30 feet shorter than the previous height of the press box.

Yes, the new Ryan Field and plazas will be built to exceed all ADA requirements for accessibility by all. The new stadium will apply Universal Design standards and will set a new standard for accessibility and inclusivity, making it among the most accessible stadiums in the country.

• The stadium also will host community-oriented events such as winter festivals, holiday celebrations, student movie nights, intramural sports championships as well as additional student community programming. 
• The space will offer a low-cost, high-value venue for faculty events. 
• The new stadium will be an ideal venue to host other top collegiate sporting events like the Women’s Lacrosse Final Four. 
• The University received zoning approval to host six concerts per year. This includes concerts in the new Ryan Field stadium and in Welsh-Ryan arena. The proposed concert capacity in a new Ryan Field is 28,500 attendees, which is 20% less than the proposed stadium seating capacity for football games and a 40% reduction from the previous 47,000 capacity of Ryan Field. Welsh-Ryan Arena has concert capacity of fewer than 10,000 attendees.

Request information about premium seating, executive suites, philanthropic giving, corporate partnerships, ticketing and more from NU Athletics. 

All event and ticketing information will be posted on the NU Athletics website. 

• More than 99% of non-hazardous materials contained in the original Ryan Field structure have been recycled and are ready for use in new projects. These efforts bring the new Ryan Field one step closer to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification.
• Prior to beginning demolition of the structure, crews — in partnership with the Rebuilding Exchange of Evanston — salvaged select items such as seating, signage, TVs, food service equipment, millwork and mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment for other uses. In addition, demolition subcontractors removed light bulbs and light ballasts; recovered refrigerants, coolants, aluminum bleachers, electrical panels, transformers, gear and accessible copper.
• Clean concrete, steel and non-ferrous metals from the existing stadium were sorted onsite and sent for recycling. Steel and non-ferrous metals have been melted down and formed into new components needed for a variety of uses. The clean concrete was crushed at an offsite facility and is being used for work that requires crushed recycled concrete such as underground utility or road construction projects.
• LEED is a green building rating system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. Learn more about federal LEED certification requirements as well as the City of Evanston's Green Building Ordinance. 

As a vast improvement over the old stadium, the new, modern design will feature a state-of-the-art canopy that will better contain crowd noise and curtail light pollution.

No. According to Evanston’s city code, no standing or parked motor vehicles with gross vehicle weight rating of 8,000 pounds or more will be allowed to idle on any public street, public place or private property for more than a total of 5 minutes within an hour period except under specific circumstances. 

The new Ryan Field will include an underground loading dock for concert-equipment trucks.

The way Ryan Field was previously designed, fans had to tailgate well beyond the footprint of the stadium. The plazas in the new Ryan Field will create an organized and well-defined space for pre-game activities.

• While the old Ryan Field has a capacity of 47,000 people, the new design has a maximum capacity of 35,000. That means 12,000 fewer people coming to and leaving games. 
• Plans call for a bike valet system, keeping more cars off the road. Northwestern University aspires to have the stadium be among the most bike-friendly college venues in the U.S. 
• There is a plan in the works for strategic and streamlined ride sharing with designated drop-off points to prevent unnecessary traffic in and around the neighborhood. 
• The University plans to engage with CTA and Metra to optimize public transit to/from the new Ryan Field campus. 
• We have a plan to reduce congestion on game days.

The University regularly meets with representatives of Indigenous Tribes to discuss potential archaeological discoveries and will involve them if any artifacts are discovered during demolition.

Notification of upcoming work will be posted to the construction updates section of this website as it becomes available.

The City of Evanston has approved alternate work hours for the first phase of the Northwestern Ryan Field Project. The additional work hours will be used for equipment maintenance and preparation for the next day’s activities. The work conducted during these additional hours is required to comply with the City’s noise ordinance, and the impact is expected to be minimal. The additional work hours allow the project to progress and stay on time. The additional work hours are at the City's discretion and will be continually re-assessed. 

The alternate work schedule is as follows:

• Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (previously 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
• Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (previously 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Allowable activities between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays are limited to site maintenance and preparation activities and must comply with City of Evanston noise ordinances.

Construction gates will remain closed at all times, except to allow construction vehicles to enter or exit the jobsite. When the gates are open to facilitate construction-related traffic, a certified flagger will be present at the gate to coordinate with vehicular and pedestrian traffic outside the perimeter fence, assisting the construction vehicles entering and exiting the site.

• Careful consideration was taken while determining the designated construction truck route for the project. Roadway capacity, bridge loading, limiting overhead clearances, residential areas, and nearby businesses were all assessed prior to the establishment of the route.
• Stadium truck traffic will be limited to: Golf Road and Emerson Street between Crawford and Sherman Avenues; Sherman Avenue between Emerson and Central Streets; Central Street between Sherman and Ashland Avenues. View the route map approved as part of the Construction Management Plan.
• Trucks working on the Ryan Field project now carry a purple circle in the upper left corner of the windshield, demarcating their affiliation with the project.
• Crews are working closely with foremen and drivers to ensure strict adherence to covering mandates, approved truck routes and all other regulations governing truck traffic near the construction site. Non-compliance will result in immediate removal from the work site, and repeat offenders will be permanently barred from the project.  

Sidewalks and crosswalks will remain open during demolition, with workers stationed at truck entry and exit points to ensure pedestrian safety. 

• Debris from demolition and construction activities will be transported to facilities licensed to accept the appropriate materials.
• As required by state, county and city regulatory requirements, the abatement of hazardous materials, including lead and asbestos, was completed by an Illinois Department of Public Health licensed subcontractor and disposed at a site designated to accept hazardous materials. Upon completion of the abatement scope of work, an environmental consultant inspected and confirmed all hazardous materials were properly removed and disposed prior to beginning demolition of the structure.
• Select items — including seating, signage, TVs, food service equipment, millwork and mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment — were salvaged prior to demolition. In addition to salvage operations, prior to heavy demolition, the following recycling efforts were completed by the demolition subcontractor: removal of light bulbs and light ballasts, refrigerant and coolant recovery, aluminum bleachers, electrical panels, transformers, gear and accessible copper. Clean concrete, steel and non-ferrous metals were sorted within the demolition operation for recycling. Hazardous debris is disposed of in locations compliant with regulations.

In accordance with the Construction Management Plan, jobsite lighting will be kept to minimal levels during off hours to maintain a safe site, following OSHA lighting requirements. Lighting will be positioned to avoid directly shining on surrounding houses and buildings. 

All subcontractors, during the jobsite orientation as well as daily huddles, will be mindful of our neighbors and respectful when entering and exiting the jobsite.  

Prior to demolition commencing, a professional pest control company certified the building was rodent free. As part of the Central Street Consortium's pest control plan, a licensed pest control company is actively managing the site to benefit the entire surrounding community. The company is using traps and bait stations and regularly monitoring pest activity at the construction site. 

Additionally, the City conducts regular rodent walks and meetings with the environmental health team to identify areas of concern and determine necessary treatment measures. They use heat maps to highlight areas with the highest activity and employ treatment plans that involve, among other measures, the use of CO2 to treat identified rodent burrows. Read more about the City’s rodent control efforts on the City of Evanston website.

As required per state and city regulatory requirements, a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) is in place to control and filter runoff water. The primary objective of these measures is to prevent debris and sediment from entering the sewage system.

• In addition to the required elements of the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP), during times of peak dust accumulation, the team uses misters onsite and runs two water trucks and two street sweeper throughout the day to clean roadways, surfaces and lots behind truck traffic.
• Stone roads have been built throughout the construction site to reduce the amount of dust tracked on tires.
• A truck washing station also is available on site, and crews pressure wash all wheels before they are allowed to exit.
• Inspectors at the exits ensure loads are fully covered before exiting the site; drivers without functioning covers are required to dump their loads and return when covers are fully functioning. 
• Crews are working with foremen and drivers to ensure understanding of and compliance with covering mandates, in addition to approved truck routes and other rules governing truck traffic near the construction sites.

The University will monitor vibrations and provide monthly reports to the city; Northwestern is subject to fines and other enforcement measures if in violation of vibration limits. 

In accordance with the Construction Management Plan, a total of 6 vibration monitors will be installed throughout the University’s athletic campus. The monitors will be placed inside Anderson Hall and Welsh Ryan Arena, near the closest residences along the east property line and along the west, south and north property lines.