Commissioned polling shows 82% of Evanston residents support the move, but some residents are voicing opposition
By Lesley Ryder
The Chicago Stars have filed a permit application with the City of Evanston to play their future home games at Northwestern’s Ryan Field. If approved, the Stars would play in Northwestern’s new football stadium for up to five years. The application is just the beginning of the process to making Evanston home, and is not indicative of a decision. The Stars went through a similar application process last year before announcing their move to Martin Stadium for the 2026 season.
At the moment, Ryan Field is not zoned for professional sports. The Stars are applying for a “unique use” permit that would grant an exception to the rule without opening the door to more professional sports teams.
Ryan Field’s construction has been a sticky subject for some of Evanston’s Seventh Ward residents. The decision to build Ryan Field and host 6 concert dates tied to a 4-4 vote, broken in favor of construction by Evanston Mayor, Daniel Bliss.
It’d be reasonable to question if the city’s residents would be up to welcoming the Chicago Stars. But recent community polling commissioned by the Stars found that 82% of Evanston residents citywide are in favor of the team playing at Ryan Field, with 70% of Seventh Ward.
But according to Alex Harrison of the Evanston Roundtable, that support wasn’t reflected in the room. Many of the residents who spoke at last night’s meeting, spoke in opposition of the project.
Descriptions of the team moving in included that the Stars are “invading” and that it would “destroy our neighborhood further,” and several connected it to the city’s historic conflict with NU over its full exemption from property taxes.
Stars President Karen Leetzow and Director of Community Relations Noelle Schmitt made a virtual appearance at last night’s Seventh Ward meeting. They told residents that the move to Ryan Field would be a “bridge” to finding their permanent home stadium. “We view Ryan Field as a lifeline for us,” Leetzow said at the meeting. “It is a piece of very desirable infrastructure for the women’s game that we don’t have access to anywhere else.”
As tenants of Ryan Field, the Stars would be subject to the facilitiy’s operational agreement, including sustainability and traffic mitigation measures. The Stars are working with CTA and Metra to encourage train ridership on game day. Though fans will also arrive by car, Leetzow assured residents the number of drivers would be far fewer than a football game or concert.
Though the new Ryan Field’s capacity is 35,000 fans, Stars attendance projections average 6,000 fans, and cap at 10,000. Last season, The Stars hit a season-high 10,127 fans at Martin Stadium in September.
The Stars have been hosting community events in Evanston since they announced their Lake front face off match last season. In the club’s press release Leetzow says the stars will continue to work closely with the local community.
“Evanston can set an example for cities across the country,” Leetzow said in the team’s press release. “By welcoming the Chicago Stars FC, the city sends a clear message that women’s sports matter, that economic growth and community values can go hand in hand, and that our young people deserve access to inspiring role models right in their hometown.”
Earlier this week the Stars announced they’d break ground on a new training facility in Bannockburn, 30 minutes north of Evanston. In the previous announcement, the club indicated they chose the location for it’s convenient proximity to Evanston.
The Stars Application will go before the Land Use Commission in February, and advance for final approval by the City Council in March or April. According to Evanston city ordinance, if 30% of property owners within a 500-ft radius of Ryan Field file a written protest, then the application would need a supermajority vote by City Council to pass.