We, the undersigned residents and stakeholders in the community stand for fairness, not favoritism. Equity means playing by the same rules, and the City of Evanston should not give special treatment to powerful institutions. 

  Evanston residents and local businesses pay some of the highest property taxes in the Midwest. So, it is fundamentally unfair to allow a non-profit, tax-exempt institution to generate revenue from professional sports and operate as a commercial venue while contributing nothing in property taxes.

  Additionally, if the City of Evanston approves Northwestern hosting professional sports at Ryan Field without full zoning compliance it will open the door to the further commercialization of the U2 collegiate district, bypassing public process and undermining zoning protections. And it will let wealthy institutions profit while Evanston schools are starving for resources. 

  Therefore, we demand: 

1. Northwestern University follow the same public process as the REST OF US instead of circumventing the current zoning under the guise of “unique use."

2. Northwestern University relinquish its nonprofit tax-exempt status on Ryan Field if it is used for commercial purposes and be required to pay property taxes like the REST OF US.