Small Businesses Thrive, Outgrow Shared Space in 625 Co-op

By Victoria Scott

Architect Chris Turley left his home office to found a business-incubator in 2000. In its energetic atmosphere, five young businesses did so well they are now moving to larger offices

Chris Turley knows from experience how isolating it can be to work from home. He says he served time "talking to the trash can" in the back bedroom where he started his architectural practice 12 years ago.

So in 2000 he traded his SOHO (small office, home office) for shared space in the 625 Co-op, the business "incubator" he founded in a rented office at 625 Madison St.

Six years later Chris Turley Architects and most of the other incubator businesses are moving on and out, propelled by growth so vigorous the office is bursting at the seams.

All five companies say the Co-op has been a big factor in their success.

From the beginning Mr. Turley had high hopes, setting out to create "a micro-community within the office." Envisioning a setting that fostered the "exchange of ideas and concepts," he launched a search for people who were both "ferocious about their business and pleasant to be around," he says.

More particularly, he says, he sought "roommates" with a certain profile –personalities geared to both giving and receiving, to being flexible and collegial, to keeping their cool, and to being "fun and perhaps a little crazy."

He steered away from an office full of architects but otherwise says he "chose people, not businesses." Hoping to create sparks, he hunted for "people who were wired differently" from each other. Rejecting some applicants, he assembled a diverse group; their businesses have flourished in the incubator’s warmth.

The co-op, which includes Mr. Turley’s firm, a web and software design company, a publicist, an other architect, and the non-profit Center for Independent Futures (CIF), now comprises 14 employees in the space that held six in 2000. So enthusiastic are the participants about their joint experience that they intend to replicate it elsewhere.

Thomas Prairie, an independent architect and competitor whom Mr. Turley calls his "co-opetition," says the arrangement provides "more aggregate space" than would be affordable for a single tenant. He points to the conference room, kitchenette, copy area, library and bathroom that adjoin their large, open office. Shared equipment and supplies – copier, DSL line, computer network, technical library – mean further economies.

But the Co-op’s greatest asset is intangible. "The energy level here is the number one thing," says Mr. Turley. He compares its effects to the chemical changes of photosynthesis.

Web designer Lawrence Neisler, who came to Co-op 625 after working at home for four years, appreciates the "social connection" and the "dynamic work environment." Laura McGowan, a publicist, finds it a great improvement over her home office, where "Oprah was becoming my best friend." She also admits "it lends a credibility not to be working at home."

When office mates are "all in one field," says Andy Hobgood, an architect with the Turley firm, "they are either all up or all down." At the incubator, says Mr. Turley, "you almost can’t have a slow day. Someone’s having a busy day, and it’s infectious."

Mixed-up desks, he says, create "energy pods" that encourage interaction among companies. There is the "support but not the politics of a big office," says Ms. McGowan. Members exchange resources. They hire one another - Steadfast Data Systems, for example, is working for CIF and for Mr. Turley, and Laura McGowan Communications, for CIF and Mr. Turley.

But the richest connections, says Mr. Turley, are informal. "We love CIF [a non-profit that works with the families of young adults with disabilities]," he says, "because their clientele, consultants and volunteers are interesting. ... There’s constant motion, people coming through. They are our lifeblood." Everyone gains perspective by being "not so zoned-in on our work," says Kim Sagami, another Turley architect.

Varied passions open new horizons. Ms. Sagami, who danced for the Joffrey Ballet, and Mr. Hobgood, who acts with Uptown’s Annoyance Theatre, have led Mr. Turley to appreciate dance and theater. "This is fertile ground we’ve created," he says.

Now Mr. Neisler and Ms. McGowan, whose business has doubled in her 15 months in the Co-op, are putting the finishing touches on a space they call "co-op lite", a three-room suite at 825 Chicago Ave. for which they are seeking tenants.

After they firmed up their plans, Mr. Turley found a place that would have accommodated them all. Within a few months his five-person firm, along with most of the remaining 625 Co-op members, will move to a space big enough for 16 desks.
They are negotiating with a "green" energy firm, a surveyor, a photographer and a hair artist - small-business people who agree that business need not operate in a sterile environment.

Though sowing the seeds of co-operative business in two new places, the group has not forgotten its roots in the 625 building. They hope to leave in place there a co-op that expresses the belief in community they share with the building’s owners, Reba Place.

Is It a Shack or a Cottage?

By Bill Smith

The Preservation Commission would like to have this 336-square-foot cottage preserved as a studio.

The Evanston Preservation Commission have urged a developer to preserve the tiny cottage at 1119 Oak Ave.

Commission members postponed a vote April 18 on developer Michael Sieja’s plan to replace the cottage with a two-and-a-half story frame home. The cottage has only 336 square feet of living space, according to county assessor’s records.

Only Commissioner Stanley Gerson indicated that he would be willing to see the cottage demolished.

Commissioners instead urged architect Ellen Galland to come up with a revision to the project design that would permit the cottage to be moved on the lot and turned into a studio or similar out-building for the proposed new home.

The cottage is located in the Ridge Historic District. Preservation activist Anne Earle says it was built about 1873, the first of many homes in Evanston constructed by builder-developer James Wigginton, the founder of the Evanston Fuel & Material Company.

County records show Mr. Sieja bought the property in March for $460,000 from local architect and developer Andrew Spatz.

Most other homes in the neighborhood are much larger.

Ms. Earle says Mr. Wigginton built, and at different times lived in, two other houses on the block.

One, a brick Queen Anne next door at 1115 Oak Ave., was built about 1884. The other, a Prairie-style home across the street at 1118 Oak Ave., was built around 1914.

"All three buildings are of the highest level of significance," Ms. Earle said. "This is the only site in Evanston that has three buildings, representing three eras of the life of one owner. He came here as a young man, built the house they’re asking to demolish as a starter house. Then his business was successful, and he built the house south of it. Much later, after his first wife died, he remarried and built the Prairie-style house across the street."

Mr. Sieja said, "Many of the neighbors speak of the cottage as the ‘grey shack.’ It doesn’t have any architectural significance, though perhaps some historical significance. It’s not known who designed the cottage, and our research didn’t indicate that he actually lived there."

Commissioner Thomas Prairie said, "It seems to me Evanston should have room in it for quaint little homes like this to exist, even though things around it are not to the same scale."

The commissioners suggested changing the design so the driveway for the new house would be on the north side of the property, adjacent to the drive on the neighboring property. If the cottage were moved to the back of the lot near the driveway, commissioners said, people would still be able to see it from the street by looking down either drive.

17-Story High-Rise for Howard

By Bill Smith

A vacant lot on Howard Street soon may finally sprout a 17-story apartment building.

The City Council is expected to give final approval on Monday to a development agreement with Bristol Chicago Development LLC for the 221-unit high rise. The agreement was reached during a Economic Development Committee meeting earlier this month.

At the EDC meeting, Bill Patrum of Bristol said the developers of the project at 413-421 Howard St. "have had incredible difficulty getting the project financed and talked to over 300 companies" since the City first approved the project two years ago before recently nailing down financing.

Marty Stern, the City’s development consultant, said the financing difficulties stem from the lack of significant new construction in the Howard Street area in decades, the unproven market for this type of project and the difficult economics of rental apartments, especially with Evanston’s high real-estate taxes.

He said the developer had originally asked for a rebate of all property taxes for the 23-year life of the area’s tax-increment financing district, but the City has worked out an agreement to rebate taxes fully for the first five years and then gradually reduce the rebate percentage, phasing it out completely in the 13th year.

Assistant City Manager Judy Aiello said the City and the developer are still working out details of an agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority.

The issues included redesigning the building’s garage area to help keep possible trespassers out of the CTA yards adjacent to the site and safety concerns regarding construction cranes for the project. Ms. Aiello said she anticipates the agreement will be approved by the CTA board in May.

The committee also agreed to a compromise with the developer on the hiring of minorities, women and Evanston residents to work on the project.

The developer agreed that people in those categories would get at least 25 percent of the work on the project, with at least eight jobs going to Evanston residents. Mr. Stern said that would be the equivalent of about 20 full-time jobs over the 18-month term of the construction project.

Assistant Corporation Counsel Herb Hill said the agreement will include very substantial penalties if the developer fails to meet the hiring goals.

Ms. Aiello said the City staff is still working out with the local school districts details of plans to increase the City’s payment to the schools under the tax-increment financing district for this project.

The project will also involve the City’s vacating an alley behind the site to give the narrow site more depth and in return receiving from the developer land to create a new alley at the east end of the site to give access to other properties along the block.

New Signs for Historic Districts

By Bill Smith

An example of the new signs for Evanston’s historic districts. Designer Jack Weiss said the logo comes from the City’s historic Tallmadge street lights.

Evanston may soon have new signs to identify its historic districts. The Preservation Commission last month recommended that the City Council spend about $25,000 to replace the faded, 20-year-old signs for the City’s first historic districts and install signs in two newer districts that have never been signed.

The design for the new signs was developed by local graphic artist Jack Weiss and follows designs he developed for way-finding signs installed downtown and elsewhere in Evanston. Mr. Weiss said the brown background of the sign meets federal standards for cultural interest signs.

Some preservation commission members objected to the 2.5 inch lettering chosen for the signs.

"Why can’t the lettering be larger?" Commissioner Stanley Gerson said. "Why waste half the space with the brown background?"

Commissioner Thomas Prairie, an architect, also said he thought the lettering was too small.

The Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices says that on urban streets the main lettering on signs should be at least 4 inches high.

Commissioners Gerson and Prairie also objected to the graphic logo in the design.

"You had to tell me it’s acorns and leaves," Mr. Prairie said, "It’s very abstract. It should have some relationship to the historical nature of the neighborhood, not be something just to fill up space on the signs."

Mr. Gerson objected to the use of the dark blue logo against the brown background. "If you’re 50 feet away, for someone my age this is almost illegible," he said. "The acorn should be something that stands out."

Mr. Weiss said the lettering is the most important element on the sign and needs to stand out, so by design the color for the logo and other graphic elements are more subdued. He added that the signs would be reflective, so the elements would be highlighted more at night."

He said the acorn and oak leaf cluster design was derived from elements used in the design of the City’s classic Tallmadge street lights.

Mr. Weiss also argued that to make room for longer words, like "Lakeshore" in historic district names, he had to limit the type size.

Commissioner Jordan Cramer said the commission had failed to take any action on new signs in the year since it rejected Mr. Weiss’s first design proposal. "I’d rather have some signs than no signs, and I happen to like this design," he said.

City Planner Carlos Ruiz said there is no guarantee that the $25,000 budgeted for the sign project will still be available if the project is further delayed.

The commission voted 4-2 to recommend the sign project to the City Council. If approved by the Council, the signs would be placed in the Lakeshore, Ridge, Northeast Evanston and Oakton historic districts.

Burger King is Back

(Dave) Satisfied customer.

The only restaurant in downtown Evanston that serves a hot cheeseburger after midnight has re-opened. On April 19 at 4:53 p.m., Burger King, 1740 Orrington Ave., swung open its doors to reveal a refurbished interior for the restaurant that is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

"New ceiling, new roof, new furniture, new kitchen, new everything," said Manager Jay Darshane.

A 42-inch plasma television and two new leather chairs are probably the most noticeable transformations in a restaurant that once had tin ashtrays on every table for its smokers.

"[Burger King] is now non-smoking, so there are a lot of new faces and most of the smokers are gone," said Mr. Darshane.

NU Student Jeff Dodson enjoys his fries in one of the new leather chairs.

But Burger King did not lose everything; it still has its wireless Internet, long lines for late-night food, and 80 percent of its original staff, according to Mr. Darshane. Northwestern University students have even been spotted reading and studying in the newly cleaned establishment.

"I miss the mess that Burger King used to be. The raucous lines and belligerent, late-night atmosphere were why I went there," said Northwestern senior Adam Alcabes.

The refurbishing, which was supposed to last three or four weeks, actually took nearly four months, because the City’s Building Department issued a stop-work order in early January for plumbing work begun without a permit.

A week after its re-opening, the restaurant is up 60 percent in sales, said Mr. Darshane.

Another Revision for Ridge/Dobson Condo Project

By Bill Smith

After three meetings with neighbors, a developer presented revised plans for a condo project on the northwest corner of Dobson Street and Ridge Avenue to the City’s planning staff last week. The latest plan cuts the height of the building to five stories from six and reduces the number of units to 33 from 38.

But Assistant Community Development Director Carolyn Brzezinski said that is still 11 units more than the R5 zoning for the site allows. To get the additional units as part of a planned development, Ms. Brzezinski said, a developer would need to provide "pretty significant give-backs to the City – and we haven’t heard anything yet."

She suggested that various contributions are possible – ranging from participation in the City’s planned inclusionary housing program to contributions for public art. "But quite honestly, I don’t know what would justify the sort of increase you’re asking for," she added.

The developer’s architect, Robert Kirk of Group A Architects of Arlington Heights, told the Site Plan and Appearance Review Committee that the overall size of the building is very close to conforming to the zoning rules. He argued that the additional units should not be an issue, because the project includes sufficient parking for the full number of units.

"To make the project economically feasible we have to have that number of units," Mr. Kirk said.

"What I would say is build according to what’s allowed," Ms. Brezinski said. "We hear from a lot of developers about wanting to exceed the requirements. The way to offset that is to offer something irresistible, so that’s what you need to think about."

She said she thought the developer’s plan to put one level of parking underground was "very valuable" given how unpopular parking "boxes with housing sitting on top" have become in Evanston.

She also said the revised site plan, which eliminates the circular drive in front of the building that was part of the original plan, "creates a great opportunity for landscaping the site."

Mr. Kirk said the project will have its main pedestrian entrance on Dobson Street, but that cars will enter the garage from the alley. A total of 45 parking spaces would be located on the first floor and a basement level.

He said the latest design moves the building a few feet closer to the Ridge Avenue side of the property to provide more separation between the new buildings and the single-family homes on the other side of the alley.

The building will have a mix of one- and two-bedroom units. Three rental apartment buildings, each with six units, are on the site now. Paying the City’s new tear-down tax will add $54,000 to the project cost. Because the project was scheduled only for a preliminary review, the committee took no vote on it.

Groundbreaking at Three Crowns Park

By Bill Smith

In little more than a century a foundation for homeless Swedish immigrants has become an affordable-to-upscale retirement complex.

At a ground-breaking ceremony on April 25 on the elm-shaded lawn in front of Pioneer Place on Colfax Street in northwest Evanston, members of the board of directors of Three Crowns Park recounted the history of the Swedish Retirement Association. It was established in Park Ridge in 1894; the east wing of Pioneer Place of the Swedish Retirement Association was built in Evanston in 1923.

Last week’s ceremony continued the mission of "meeting the housing needs of senior citizens," said Marvin Lofquist, as McDaniel Courts of Three Crowns Park – featuring 97 one- and two-bedroom apartments – was officially begun. The "three crowns" in the new name recall the three crowns of Sweden. City Manager Julia Carroll pledged that the City would work closely with the construction company, Pepper Construction, "to make sure everything will go smoothly, according to your plans.

The City Council and I want to thank you for expanding. You have a great future in our community."