The Northwestern University-City Committee convened Wednesday night to tackle plans for a temporary football game facility at Martin Stadium.
The committee meeting began with University representatives presenting plans for the temporary facility slated to host a number of home football games for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Vice President of Operations Luke Figora said the proposal envisions putting temporary structures around the soccer and lacrosse facility to accommodate fans during the Ryan Field renovations.
“You’d have kind of a glorified set of bleachers or stairs up into some open-air type boxes,” Figora said. “On the north side, in that small parking lot, you’d see a row of bleachers, and on the major structure on the east, we have a few rows of bleacher risers off between the field and treeline.”
University representatives said the games would increase pedestrian traffic, which may bring business to downtown Evanston.
NU has the capacity to provide parking on campus for all football attendees but wants to help the city’s economy through fans that attend games, according to Dave Davis, senior executive director of neighborhood and community relations.
“We have an opportunity here to work closely with those business owners to push parking in people into downtown Evanston,” he said.
Deputy Director of Athletics for Operations & Capital Projects Deneé Barracato said the proposed temporary facility can fit 15,000 fans.
NU has seven home games in 2024 and at least five in 2025 — with two nonconference contests yet to be scheduled. For games with significantly elevated attendance, like those against Ohio State and Michigan, University representatives said the team would use a different venue.
“Our conference and TV broadcast dictates when our games are and we typically find out seven to 12 days in advance,” Barracato said. “We would announce those games as we receive that information from our conference office.”
Some community members raised concerns about truck volume, routes and compliance with transportation management plans associated with NU’s Ryan Field construction.
Despite reassurances from NU representatives about truck speed limits being upheld, residents emphasized the need for continued vigilance.
Committee members said the proposed demolition and construction plans for certain University properties remain unchanged. Maintenance projects, including HVAC and roof repairs, were noted as ongoing.
The meeting concluded with a call for ongoing dialogue between NU and the community about the effects from the Ryan Field construction, ensuring transparency and collaboration moving forward.
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