As a Northwestern alumnus, I was deeply dismayed and disappointed by the stories uncovered by the Daily Northwestern and other media outlets regarding the NU football and baseball programs. President Schill had to make tough decisions in dismissing the top coaches in those programs and launching a new effort to make sure all NU student athletes are protected from abuse. We all hope the athletic program can meet a higher standard going forward.
As someone who lives one block from Ryan Field, pays Evanston taxes and sends my children to Evanston public schools, I write to make clear that my family and many more still stand 100% behind the new Ryan Field project despite the problems in the athletic program.
The simple truth is games will be played for decades to come, but rebuilding Ryan Field is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will create 2,900 good-paying jobs, provide tens of millions in tax revenue to Evanston, give local businesses a much needed boost and open more than $200 million in contracts for women- and minority-owned firms.
While this year’s city budget seems to be manageable, City Council members are already hinting that next year could be very different, when the city loses nearly all federal pandemic aid.
Every Evanstonian should know that without the millions in revenue from this project, Evanston may face a budget shortfall next year that could include closing a fire station, cutting desperately needed youth jobs and violence prevention programs and leaving key city positions open.
If you look down my street, you will see signs for and against the Ryan Field project. That’s Evanston. That’s healthy debate. But if the majority of the City Council makes 75,000 Evanstonians pay through the nose in lost economic opportunities, lost tax revenue and lost city services where Evanston needs them the most just to placate a few loud voices from the wealthiest part of the city who pounced on a scandal to get their way, then to me, democracy and decency will have failed us.
Let’s get to a reasonable number of concerts, the best financial arrangement NU can muster and pass the Ryan Field rebuild. Let’s put the needs of the many above the demands of the few and let NU athletics heal from these deep scars separate from that political process.
Raju S. Ghate, M.D.
NU alumnus and Ryan Field neighbor
Dr. Ghates, It would be useful to understand how the hospital will manage if ambulances and doctors cannot make it to the hospital in a timely fashion. As mentioned it’s not a few concerts, it unlimited events of up to 10,000 as well as 10 megaconcerts.
Is our trauma 1 level hospital at risk? The hospital has been noticeable silent on the potential impact.
Thank you for your letter, Dr. Ghate. You correctly point out that there’s much at stake for Evanston. Let’s not make our small business owners, our youth and our tax base pay collateral damage over a scandal they had nothing to do with.
Dr. Ghate – I’m curious why you characterize the opposition to NU’s plan as “a few loud voices.” Is that what you really think? Surely you’re aware of the broad coalition of organizations that has assembled in opposition to NU’s plan, of the hundreds and hundreds of Evanston voters who have signed petitions and letters opposed to it. (I’m not even counting the Wilmette residents, who have legitimate as well as legal interests here.) Mischaracterizing the opposition does not help your credibility.
Be careful what you wish for, the change in zoning will be permanent. If at a later date the residents realize that maybe large concerts are not what they want, it will be too late. Perhaps a temporary variance is what’s necessary, 3-5 years of concerts, then the city and residents can see if it’s really what we want. The change they are asking for will be permanent, so let us not be hasty.
NU has made this a political process with the way they disingenuously approached the neighbors and the city from day 1. Did the so called loud few (laughable) go behind NU’s backs and try to secretly modify a 20 year old federally mandated court decree for community engagement? Nope! That was NU. They are working in the shadows with a yet to be identified city employee/politician to try and kill healthy conversations with the community in which they live and for whom they will greatly impact with their proposed changes! For many just reasons, our community has no reason to trust NU leadership and that is only reinforced with the clear ethical lapses at the atheistic department going back many years, and just no boiling over with the recent scandals. (Plural). As even a token to begin to restore trust, how about NU actually shares all the data to back up their claims?
Also, please go past your single street, and walk amongst all the streets that surround Ryan field and the opposition far outweighs the support. It’s not even close.
As an Evanstonian for almost 50 years whose children and grandchildren have attended and attend Evanston schools, I completely agree with the thoughtful, powerful letter that Dr. Raju Ghate has shared with the Evanston community. Yes, Northwestern must get its house in order. We are all shocked by the shameful allegations that we read about some parts of Northwestern’s athletic program. Let us keep in mind that many of Northwestern’s athletic teams, especially the women’s programs, have achieved extraordinary success in a secure environment. Northwestern will put its house in order.
It always amazes me that a vocal minority is willing, swiftly, to take a club to Northwestern, all of the time over everything, now particularly the new, beautiful stadium that Northwestern will pay for entirely out of its own funds. No taxpayer money for a breathtaking arena.
What would Evanston be without Northwestern, a world class university of great renown? How many communities have such a precious gem? Let’s try to support Northwestern as it investigates and examines. I, my family, and my Evanston friends have faith that Northwestern will do the right thing as it addresses these current ugly, disappointing challenges.
As we consider what Evanston would be without Northwestern, let us keep in mind the young women and men who came to Northwestern from around the country, indeed the the world, to strive for excellence in a safe, secure environment. What would Evanston be without Northwestern?
I am a longtime Evanston resident. I pay a significant amount in taxes. I am graduate of Northwestern’s Law School. Thank you Dr. Ghate for an excellent letter. Michael W. Davis
This is a good letter. I agree with much of what’s said here; however, NU’s athletic scandal (and its questionable judgement about athletics overall) is NOT the only reason for objection. There are the concerts, a patently ridiculous idea in a residential neighborhood. There is the groundwater diversion concern, which is WAY under the radar, and which, as far as I know, has not been substantively evaluated by an outside party. Many of the promised jobs are temporary, and stadium work is not high-paying. The tax benefits to Evanston are just an estimate, possibly a bit on the rosy side. We need a solid community benefits agreement. Let’s nail down the finances and make sure Evanston gets the best possible deal from our very wealthy non-property-tax-paying friends at NU. Let’s make sure groundwater diversion isn’t going to create unintended problems (talk about $$$!!) And let’s get real about concert-hosting. Talk about unacceptable.
Either Northwestern can afford and must enter a CBA/PILOT program to pay Evanston, or Northwestern is as broke as they claim to be and having to pay 10-30 survivors of assault and racism will empty their coffers.
If you want to separate the systematic sexual assault and racism from building Ryan Field, fine. Building a new stadium won’t make the victims any more or less traumatized or change what they went through.
But if we have to address economics the lawsuits and potential financial loss factor in. Plus now that a victim is saying he was 17 when he was assaulted, Northwest may face legal consequences. After all regardless of who assaulted an underage teen, Northwestern had an obligation to be a mandatory reporter.
Like it or not, the allegations change everything, both morally and financially.
Let’s be clear: according to NU’s own hyper-inflated projections, revenues from the rebuild would be a drop in the bucket of the City’s budget. No money whatsoever would go to the public schools. Most of the revenue—and the only money coming directly out of NU’s pocket—would be one-time permit fees totaling $11.2 million. That’s only 2.8% of the City’s 2023 budget: hardly a game-changer. And NU’s rosiest estimate of the total tax revenue raised in connection with its seven home football games (on lodging, tickets, food and beverage, transportation, and retail) is a measly $230,000 each year. That’s 0.06% of the budget. It’s also as of now, with a seating capacity of 47,000 in the stadium. There’s no reason to think mega concerts would be more impactful—quite the opposite since they won’t draw overnight crowds from Ohio and Michigan. Moreover, NU’s calculations do not attempt to quantify or account for any extra costs to the City or externalities on area residents or businesses.
Reasonable number of concerts??? Putting the needs of the many over the few??? Last time I checked it was the many advocating against the sanctioning of the new Northwestern University entertainment business.
NU can build a new stadium without a zoning change – that could be reasonable if they are able to work out environmental concerns.
But let’s be honest. The University doesn’t really need a new football field. This is being driven by the vanity of a billionaire. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that we have devolved as a society to blindly accept the spending of nearly a billion dollars on a new football field to replace one that is perfectly good. Think of what Evanston could be if those resources were diverted to building affordable housing or ending hunger and poverty in our community.
It’s really shameful. Even the so called religious people have turned their backs on “the least of these.”