The long-empty Office Depot at 2722 Green Bay Road might finally see some action again, only this time it would be kids running drills instead of shoppers hunting for printer ink. The Ishbia Family Foundation has filed plans to convert the vacant big-box into a two-story, year-round indoor training center for youth baseball, flag football, and soccer. The early-stage pitch focuses on practices, clinics, and camps rather than tournaments, and backers say it could plug a real hole in north Evanston’s recreation scene. City staff and neighborhood leaders have started combing through the concept, which would give a prominent stretch of Green Bay Road a very different second act.
What the proposal would include
According to The Real Deal, the Ishbia Family Foundation has applied for zoning approval to turn the former office-supply store into a two-story training facility that would offer year-round practice space for youth athletes. The outlet reports that programming would be limited to organized practices, clinics, camps, and private events, with no tournaments or big-ticket competitions on the calendar. The application covers the former Office Depot, which The Real Deal notes has sat empty since late 2024.
Where the proposal sits in the city review
Per the City of Evanston, the project was logged as a zoning analysis on March 4, 2026, and is now under staff review. The city describes the plan as a conversion of the existing building with a two-story addition, with use restricted to youth practices and training sessions. The case appears under pending zoning matters in the city’s March weekly update, a sign the proposal has officially entered Evanston’s review pipeline.
Neighbors, officials and the site's history
The local outlet Evanston RoundTable reports that Seventh Ward Councilmember Parielle Davis has called the early concept “promising,” while stressing it is far from a done deal. The RoundTable notes that north Evanston does not currently have an indoor sports complex on par with TOCA Soccer and Sports Center on the south side of town, and that the site previously drew a proposed Aldi that never moved forward. Those past would-be projects and long-standing parking worries are part of why neighbors and officials say they will be scrutinizing traffic, drop-off logistics and operating hours as the review process unfolds.
Who’s behind the move
Justin Ishbia, founder of private equity firm Shore Capital Partners, is the philanthropist behind the Ishbia Family Foundation, and his family is no stranger to major sports deals. NBC Chicago reported last year that Ishbia has a long-term investment agreement with the Chicago White Sox, and that he and his brother Mat previously bought majority stakes in the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. The foundation’s push into Evanston would be a local real estate move that lines up with other North Shore projects associated with the Ishbia family.
Next steps and what to expect
The Real Deal reports that a Land Use Commission hearing could be on the calendar by late spring or early summer, although detailed architectural plans have not yet hit the public docket. City records currently list the case as “pending staff review” in the March weekly memo, which means the foundation still needs formal zoning approvals before any construction or major exterior work can begin. If the proposal keeps moving, developers will likely have to tackle parking and broader neighborhood impacts head-on at future public hearings.
