Ishbia’s Nonprofit Proposes Youth Sports Complex in Evanston

A vacant big-box storefront on Evanston’s north side could get a second life as an indoor youth sports hub backed by one of Chicago’s wealthiest families.

The Ishbia Family Foundation applied to build a two-story training facility at 2722 Green Bay Road, replacing a former Office Depot that has sat empty since late 2024, according to reporting from the Evanston RoundTable. The nonprofit is seeking zoning approval for a planned development that would house year-round practice space for baseball, flag football and soccer.

Plans call for a youth sports practice, skills-training and young player game facility, with programming limited to organized practices, clinics, camps and private events. No tournaments or large-scale competitions are planned, a detail likely aimed at easing concerns about traffic and neighborhood disruption.

The proposal marks a new venture for the foundation, led by Justin Ishbia, founder of private equity firm Shore Capital Partners. Ishbia holds a minority stake in the Chicago White Sox and could become majority owner later this decade, and he and his brother Mat also own stakes in the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury.

A spokesperson for the foundation told the publication that the project is designed to fill a gap in Evanston’s recreational infrastructure, offering indoor access for youth athletes throughout the year. The north side currently lacks such a facility, while the city’s only comparable venue — TOCA Soccer and Sports Center — sits on the south end.

City officials are just beginning to review the proposal. A Land Use Commission hearing could come as soon as late spring or early summer, though detailed plans have yet to be posted publicly, according to the outlet. Seventh Ward Councilmember Parielle Davis, whose district includes the site, called the early-stage concept promising but not a done deal.

The project would revive a property that has already seen one redevelopment plan fall apart. A proposed Aldi grocery store for the site never materialized, leaving another retail vacancy along the Green Bay Road corridor, according to the publication.

The Ishbias are no strangers to North Shore real estate battles. Their ongoing lakefront assemblage in Winnetka — tied to a controversial beach overhaul and land swap — has sparked years of local pushback and legal wrangling. — Eric Weilbacher