Ryan Field rehab opponents form Better Than Biss group to oppose Evanston mayor in 2025 election

A political campaign has sprung up in response to Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss’ handling of the proposed rebuild and commercialization of Northwestern University’s Ryan Field.

The Better Than Biss campaign was started by Parielle Davis, an 30-year-old Evanston mother, software engineer and lawyer who lives near the stadium and cofounded the Most Livable City Association. Davis said she started the group in response to what she has called Biss’s fumbling and lack of leadership in the Ryan Field debate.

“At this point I’m feeling fairly betrayed by how the whole process has happened,” Davis said. “I’ve found myself in a situation where the residents in the area are strongly opposed to what’s happening with the zoning and we’ve been boxed out completely in so many ways.”

Tensions have run high in the city for months as nearby Evanston and Wilmette residents have fought to keep the stadium from being used for events such as concerts. Detractors have expressed concerns about noise pollution, traffic, parking and increased strain on city services. Those in favor of the field commercialization have argued the concerts would bring in much needed money to help downtown recover post-pandemic.

Northwestern’s $800 million plan to rebuild the stadium would, in the school’s words, require concerts in order to make stadium upkeep financially viable. The university originally asked the city to allow for 12 annual concerts but amended the request down to 10 and eventually six after pressure from residents.

To sweeten the deal, Northwestern has proposed a 10-year, $100 million benefits package to the city that would include funding to rehab downtown Evanston, $3 million a year to a Good Neighbor Fund to be used at the city’s discretion and scholarship funding to local students.

The city’s Land Use Commission voted in early October in favor of the rebuild but against commercialization.

Davis compared Biss’ run against current Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker in the 2018 Illinois Gubernatorial Democratic Primary to how residents near Ryan Field feel fighting against the Ryan Family, the billionaire donors whose $480 million donation to the school is funding the rebuild of the nearly 100-year-old stadium.

Biss did not respond to requests for comment Friday afternoon.

The campaign is seeking future potential candidates who meet its qualifications in order to run against Biss in the 2025 Evanston mayoral election. Some of those qualities, according to Davis, include transparency, solid negotiation skills and a better track record for supporting teachers, a reference to a bill Biss cowrote in 2013 while working in the state legislature that would have impacted worker pensions. The bill was deemed unconstitutional by the Illinois Supreme Court and Biss has gone on to denounce his hand in creating the bill, calling it a learning experience.

Davis said she would also like to see whoever the campaign chooses to support the reparations work the city has been championing.

Davis said Biss should have worked as the defining voice to bring Evanston City Council together to come up with a solution that would work for all residents instead of the one she categorized as one-sided.

“It’s hard for a city council to collectively negotiate with any type of entity. That’s the purpose of the mayor, to lead and to deal with community tensions to across the aisle,” Davis said. “He’s done none of that.”

If no other candidates come forward, Davis has said she would throw her hat in the ring rather than see Biss run unopposed.

Law firm Ancel Glink has since been brought in to help as an independent negotiator alongside city attorneys on the city’s behalf to hammer out the details of a memorandum of understanding with Northwestern, according to statements made by Councilmember Bobby Burns during a Nov. 9 town hall.

A final vote on the Ryan Field proposal was expected during the Monday, Nov. 13 Evanston City Council meeting but was tabled with a 6-2 vote until a Nov. 20 special board meeting.

“I honestly think that this is one of the rare situations where you can listen to the residents and end up with good policy,” Davis said. “If you could just listen to us.”