Northwestern Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Ryan Field

Joint Venture of Turner Construction Company and Walsh Construction Company will serve as the general contractors of the project.

Northwestern University celebrated the formal groundbreaking for the new Ryan Field, a 100% privately funded project set to bring thousands of jobs and nearly $660 million in economic impact to the City of Evanston and surrounding areas. 

The ceremony took place at the site of the new stadium and included remarks by University officials and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss. The speakers were joined in the groundbreaking by members of the Ryan Family, whose vision, leadership and generosity are the catalyst behind the new stadium. 

“The Ryan Family is proud to enable this generational, transformational project that will catapult Northwestern to the forefront of athletics facilities while creating a powerful year-round asset for the Northwestern and Evanston communities,” said Pat Ryan Sr., founder of Aon Corporation (NYSE: AON) and founder and CEO of Ryan Specialty Group (NYSE: RYAN). “So many of the Ryans have called Evanston home for important chapters of our lives, and we look forward to delivering on the promises we have made through this investment, including new jobs for residents, investments in community programs and services, increased tourism opportunities and unprecedented economic impact for the community at large.”

“The new Ryan Field is important to our Wildcats, yes, but it is much more than a football stadium. This state-of-the-art facility also will serve as a vibrant venue for the Evanston community, hosting community-oriented events such as winter festivals, family movie nights and youth sports events,” Northwestern President Michael Schill said. “None of this would be possible without some very generous individuals. From athletics to academics and research, the Ryan Family has supported Northwestern in ways that will resonate with our community for generations to come.”

Northwestern continues to target 35% of total subcontracted spending between local, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses for the construction of the new Ryan Field, totaling an estimated $208 million. 

“The University has committed to partnering with local, minority, and women-owned businesses, and we are proud to be a part of that mission,” said Pamyla Fountain Brown, vice president, senior director of Community and Citizenship, Central Street Consortium. “Our priority is to be good neighbors while our talented team is bringing this facility to life, so we will continue listening to the community’s feedback throughout the entire construction process.”

Additionally, the new stadium will be one of the most accessible stadiums in college football and achieve LEED Gold-Certified standards for sustainability. The world-class facility is set to open in 2026 and will include a community park and public greenspaces for residents to enjoy year-round. 

“This is an exciting day as we welcome the next phase of this project,” said Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss. “I am proud of the collaboration it demonstrates, as represented not only by a historic agreement that fundamentally transforms the financial relationship between Evanston and Northwestern, but also by the commitment to the idea that partnership is essential for either institution to realize its full potential. I look forward to future opportunities for us to work together to improve the lives of all community members.” 

The project is projected to produce:

·       More than $659 million in economic impact to Evanston

·       $208 million in contracts for local, women, and minority-owned businesses

·       More than $12 million in direct fees to Evanston

·       $11 million in permit-related fees to the City

·       $1.5 million in indirect tax revenue 

·       More than 2,900 jobs during the rebuild

“This is truly a community-wide effort to enhance the world-class city of Evanston,” said Dave Davis, executive director of Neighborhood and Community Relations at Northwestern. “In addition to the economic benefits of this project, we see the new Ryan Field as a hub of community activity, providing educational and recreational opportunities for all Evanstonians. Today, we celebrate being one step closer to achieving that goal.”

With construction ramping up, the team will focus on preparing the ground and foundations to support the new stadium and maintain the surrounding environment. Turner-Walsh will continue to hold hiring events and informational meetings for workers interested in joining the team.

To learn more about the facility, please visit www.rebuildryanfield.com, and stay up to date on construction progress, here: www.rebuildryanfield.com/construction-updates/.