This week, Sixth Ward Council Member Tom Suffredin and the RoundTable offered ‘context’ for Northwestern’s proposed community benefits agreement (CBA), calling into question whether the CBA is beneficial at all.
However, the most important context was either de-emphasized or missing: Evanston needs new revenue. The city manager has proposed a 7.9% property tax increase and a 17.5% increase to the water rate. Evanston already has some of the highest taxes among nearby communities. Not to mention, District 65 is struggling financially.
This context makes the 10-year, $100 million package not only attractive, but necessary.
Both the RoundTable and Suffredin seem to suppose that some of Northwestern’s proposed benefits are somehow less because they aren’t paid for by the university itself and instead come from the new stadium and its concerts. To that we say: Exactly – we need the rebuilt stadium, including concerts, to get these benefits.
Additionally, the RoundTable counts funding from Northwestern as “existing funding” because some amounts have previously been given in the past. However, just like the city hasn’t received money for the Good Neighbor Fund since 2021, none of the money Northwestern has given has been guaranteed by a written agreement, until now. The CBA will ensure these funds are earmarked for our community for a decade.
The Ryan Field rebuild, including concerts, and the community benefits agreement that comes with it should represent a new page in a city-university partnership. A city-university partnership, we might add, that will be built on the relationships of city council members who choose to treat Northwestern as an ally, rather than an enemy. (It’s notable that Suffredin failed to mention any benefits he has been able to successfully negotiate on behalf of our city.)
Let’s be solution-oriented and see the Ryan Field rebuild, and concerts, as a way to guarantee money for our community at a time when we desperately need it.
David Spitulnik, Sixth Ward resident
Katie Trippi, Sixth Ward resident
There has been a stadium in that neighborhood since 1926. I am guessing that all current homeowners bought their house after the stadium was built. The proposed new stadium will have less capacity, noise reduction technology and more curbside appeal. How is this controversial? Yet 3 aldermen voted against a stadium only choice. I understand why some would be against the concerts but I respectfully disagree. Personally, I think the concerts will be great and that the money generated by the concerts and the community benefits agreement is much needed. The “we should negotiate better” crowd should have pressed their elected officials to engage with NU instead of stonewalling them.
This letter takes everything NU says at face value. Forgive me for not trusting them — or rather, their leadership. What would be wrong with Evanston getting a deal that’s legally enforceable? Wouldn’t an actual negotiation result in NU making a yearly Payment in Lieu of Taxes to the city? The city has enormous leverage here and has gotten nothing but squishy pledges. Pathetic.
Biss, Nieuwsma et al simply can’t wait to give this away to Northwestern. The MOU is not a deal. It’s a surrender.
Or maybe have more responsible spending by an out of control council instead of making this bad decision to help make up for all the previous bad decisions driving away business?
Or just maybe they don’t give away so much for Pennie’s on the dollars of what they could get? Or maybe demand actual smart planning and design from NU to reduce the negative impacts to our families and tac paying citizens?
But nope, the point is they gave it all away for very little. All the council members that voted for this were too busy drooling over the supposed new benefits, but completely ignoring the opportunity costs, substitution effect and the many less tangible but no less important costs to those closest to the stadium that will be greatly impacted by unlimited commercial events year round.
https://evanstonroundtable.com/2022/11/22/letter-to-the-editor-ryan-field-should-include-community-costs/
https://evanstonroundtable.com/2022/12/15/letter-to-the-editor-nu-overselling-ryan-stadiums-economic-impact/
I do want to be solution oriented, but to date NU has shown they will not negotiate in good faith and they haven’t even pretended to try and solve the real issues. And I suppose that was/is wise on their part when they have proven it’s so easy to pull a fast one on the city of Evanston and get what they want via manipulative marketing and back room deals with the council members that are least effected by their demands.
Bingo. The city doesn’t have the coffers for this fight. Evanston needs to take the deal before we end up with nothing.