Everything Evanston: A listen at the Ryan Field demolition

Anavi Prakash, Assistant City Editor

April 2, 2024

An update on Ryan Field’s demolition since it began on Feb. 16. Since then, most of the structure is no longer standing and preparations for construction are underway.

[nat sound of Ryan Field construction]

ANAVI PRAKASH: These are the sounds of the Ryan Field demolition. Peeking through the fence that surrounds the former stadium, only the press box remains standing. The rest of the structure has been demolished and the turf can barely be seen under piles of rubble.

[more nat sound, transition into music]

NARRATOR: From The Daily Northwestern, I’m Anavi Prakash. Welcome to the latest episode of Everything Evanston, a podcast exploring all things Evanston. Today, we are tracking the progress made on the demolition of Ryan Field.

[music fade out]

ANAVI PRAKASH: The demolition process began on Friday, Feb. 16, when a temporary fence was installed along the perimeter of the stadium. Since then, demolition work has occurred every day of the week except Sundays.

The east and south parts of the stadium were taken down first.

Demolition began in the west area the week of March 4. The west side of the stadium includes two towers and the press box. Its excavation is expected to begin in mid- to late-April. Then, foundation elements for the new Ryan Field will be constructed in early May.

The entire stadium’s excavation process may cause some driveway and alley blockages near the stadium, according to updates on NU’s Rebuild Ryan Field website.

[nat sound of Ryan Field]

ANAVI PRAKASH: On March 14, preparations to install the Earth Retention System began. The system is used during the excavation process to prevent soil movement. Any soil erosion could damage the new stadium while it’s being built.

The system’s installation caused vibrations for some residents, who are concerned that these vibrations could cause damage to the foundation of their homes.

According to the Rebuild Ryan Field website, the demolition team is using vibration monitors to make sure vibrations are within a proper, non-property damaging range.

The demolition of the final tower — located on the north side of the stadium — has also begun.

The press box’s interior is currently being demolished, with the external part set to be removed in the upcoming weeks.

[nat sound]

ANAVI PRAKASH: Aside from structural demolition, foundations and landscaping are being removed as soil anchors, utilities and drainage systems are being installed. Utilities work this week may cause traffic and parking disruptions near Central Street and Ashland Avenue.

This work is in preparation for the construction of the new stadium, scheduled to be completed in 2026.

The area’s fiber infrastructure is also being upgraded on a continuous basis. City Council approved the updates in early March. The new infrastructure will improve high-performance data networking for residents.

[music]

ANAVI PRAKASH: From The Daily Northwestern, I’m Anavi Prakash. Thanks for listening to another episode of Everything Evanston. This episode was reported and produced by me. The audio editor of The Daily Northwestern is Carlotta Angiolillo, the digital managing editors are Sonya Dymova and Micah Sandy, and the editor in chief is Jacob Wendler. Make sure to subscribe to The Daily Northwestern’s podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud to hear more episodes like this.

[music]

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X: @anavi_52