The Challenge
Northwestern set out to replace and rebuild a 97-year-old stadium. While the new Ryan Field stadium campus was on private land and would be funded entirely with private dollars, the university still required approval from the Evanston City Council to build the new stadium and host concerts. Different coalitions emerged — some which the stadium rebuild and any future concerts and enlisted high-powered law and PR firms to contest the university’s plans.
What We Did
We designed and executed a comprehensive campaign around the rebuild, engaging Evanstonians at the grassroots level and working with the university, the private funder, and the city to generate an outcome that would be favorable to the majority of parties involved. The Evanston City Council ultimately voted in favor of Northwestern’s proposal to sanction the stadium rebuild and approved the rezoning application to allow six concerts a year, as well as other community-oriented events at the new venue.
