Ryan Field Redevelopment announces $133 million in minority contracts to date

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Northwestern University presented its latest Ryan Field economic impact and inclusion figures at the Evanston M/W/D/EBE (Minority, Women, Disadvantage and Evanston Business Enterprises) Development Committee meeting on Wednesday. The committee, chaired by Alderman Bobby Burns (5th Ward), has worked with the University to ensure accountability in its spending commitments throughout the early stages of the Ryan Field rebuild.

The University is well on its way to meeting its 35% minority contracting commitments, with $133 million contract awards to date having gone to minority- and women-owned businesses. Of those funds, $27 million has gone to local businesses including Continental Electric, Ozinga and Illinois Masonry.

Under Alderman Burns’ leadership, the committee has worked to identify and address the needs of Evanston’s minority, women and disadvantaged business community. Northwestern has met monthly with the committee to keep the City abreast of its minority contracting and hiring efforts throughout the process of rebuilding Ryan Field.

“Northwestern has committed to ensuring that 35% of all subcontracting for the Ryan Field rebuild will go to minority- and women-owned businesses, with a priority on Evanston-based companies,” said Burns. “We’ve been closely monitoring their progress and appreciate the regular updates and responses to our questions. This partnership has been productive, and we look forward to seeing these commitments benefit the community as the project moves forward toward the new stadium opening.”

In its presentation, the University shared that its spending with minority contractors, to date, represents 35% of the total $382 million in contracts awarded so far. 

Northwestern continues to target 35% of total subcontracted spending between local, minority- and women-owned businesses through the completion of the new Ryan Field. The total amount spent with those businesses is estimated to reach a total of more than $200 million.

“It has always been critical to the Ryan Family and Northwestern that an important legacy of the new Ryan Field project be economic empowerment and fostering social mobility for historically marginalized communities in Evanston,” said Pat Ryan Jr., of the Ryan Foundation, which is providing the majority of the funding for the project.

“When this was proposed, we made commitments to this community which we intend to keep. The positive momentum we are announcing today demonstrates that impact is already happening in unprecedented ways.”

Overall, the stadium rebuild 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

“We are extremely proud of the strong partnerships we have forged so far, which put us well on our way to meeting our substantial commitments to local, minority contractors,” said Dave Davis, Northwestern’s executive director of Neighborhood and Community Relations. “We are encouraged to see that this generational investment is already having a meaningful and positive impact, and we look forward to seeing all we can accomplish through these partnerships. We appreciate the committee’s work and commitment to this project and thank them for their continued support as we work to meet the promises we have made.”

The University continues to meet with the committee and will report on its contract spending, hiring efforts and other economic commitments at future committee hearings.