With City Council approval early Tuesday morning of plans for a new Ryan Field, Northwestern University has applied for a demolition permit to take down the old stadium.
Evanston’s community development director, Sarah Flax, confirmed to Evanston Now on Wednesday that the permit has been applied for, but Flax says it’s difficult to predict how soon it will be approved “due to the scale and complexity of the project.”
In a news release after the Council vote, NU officials said they would announce “next steps and a timeline at a later date” but it’s long been understood that the school is hoping to have the new, $800 million stadium completed in time for the 2026 football season.
And the public benefits package negotiated with the city anticipates that tax revenue from concerts permitted at the stadium under the new agreement will start flowing to the city in 2027.
Until the new stadium is built, NU will have to play its football games at a venue outside the city. The school has yet to announce where those games will be played.