Still Cou Cou for Clothes

Fashion Grows Up at New Sherman Avenue Boutique

By Victoria Scott

Kellie Poulos previews some fall clothing destined for Cou Cou, her new store for mature women. It will open in late August.

Kellie Poulos knows the customer for whom she is tailoring her new store. But she is having a hard time describing her.

Later in August Ms. Poulos - whose trendy Asinamali boutique keeps university students and others on the cutting edge of fashion - will open a new women's clothing store right next door.

Cou Cou ("a friendly greeting in French," says the Francophile, who visits Paris with her husband almost yearly), 1716 Sherman Ave., will cater to a customer whom she describes as "more sophisticated" than the Asinamali client, still "hip" and "in good shape" - yet also in need of "a little higher rise in pants, a little more room in the hips" than some of the brands at Asinamali provide.

This woman of a certain age, she admits, reminds her of someone close to her. "My style is starting to change, too," says the ever-youthful entrepreneur. "In winter I want to wear beautiful trousers."

Up-to-the-minute as it is, Asinamali is a window to her past. She opened the shop on Davis Street 14 years ago, in the fall of 1992. The daughter of factory workers from Michigan, she had nurtured the dream of owning her own store through a post-university stint as an assistant buyer for Carson Pirie Scott and years of work in films and commercials financed with part-time work at stores in L.A. Two inexperienced Swiss girls who were opening a shop in Malibu gave her the courage to return to the Chicago area and try her luck. "If they can start a business, I can," she thought.

It took her a year to amass the money. During that time, she put all her papers in a file marked "asinamali." She took the word, which means "I have no money" in Zulu, from the title of a play about South Africa. Though the play dealt with apartheid hardships that far outstripped her woes, she says it touched her heart and inspired her with its message of survival, evolution and joy. "Asinamali" became the obvious name for the shop.

The small Davis Street store encompassed a café; a section for her vintage finds; a tiny space where she made clothes, pillows and picture frames; and an art exhibit she planned to change monthly. "It was so much work," she remembers - for so little profit.

"The only thing I was making money on was the clothing," she says. Her two goals at the time were "to move out of my basement apartment and to buy a car," she remembers. Her apartment had flooded twice in three years, and she got around by bicycle. About that time she met Eric Singer, the chef/owner of the Lucky Platter restaurant who later became her husband. "You have to make some money," he advised.

Then, eight years after she opened Asinamali, her landlord sold the building. The new owners doubled the rent, and she took a chance on Sherman Avenue. "It was the best decision," she says. Her business doubled along with her square footage.

The move signaled a change in merchandise. In part, Ms. Poulos was responding to her new collegiate clientele. But she was also reacting to a change in fashion - from the "oversized, droopy clothes" of the 90s to the "body-conscious" styles of the present, she says.

Although she says she "notices when the students are not there," students account for less than a third of Asinamali's business. Despite its youthful image, Asinamali has always had a loyal following among more mature women. Some of them have asked for more generously cut clothing in larger sizes, says Ms. Poulos. Cou Cou is their answer.

The shop will have its own entrance and décor. "I am opening a new store, not expanding," Ms. Poulos emphasizes. She designed the 900-square-foot space, gutting the former nail salon when she took it over June 1. Cou Cou will have walnut hardwood floors, and custom shelves and counters of maple and brushed aluminum. "I want it to feel distinctly its own. It will feel very different" from Asinamali, she says. She sees Cou Cou as an alternative to the chain stores - something "not in a million other towns," she says.

She originally had doubts about finding enough merchandise. But trips to Chicago and New York markets led her to brands like Isda, clothing she says is "well-made, fits beautifully and is flattering. It's a little on the classic side but still current." This spring she tried the Isda line in Asinamali and says "it did phenomenally."

She has no intention of cannibalizing Asinamali to stock Cou Cou. Even the clothes at Asinamali that are geared to an older customer will remain at the larger store: Neesh, Kenzie and maybe Skif (one-of-a-kind sweaters) will stay.

Cou Cou will carry a few work clothes - for example, the suits she enjoys wearing, "where the jacket doesn't exactly match the pants." She promises to have found jeans that really fit. "Wonderful" white blouses are on order, along with a few things from Italy, France and Morocco; "a little one-of-a-kind stuff"; and some "big, beautiful ethnic pieces" of jewelry, she says.

On this stifling August day the Asinamali staff greets Ms. Poulos with hugs and a "happy birthday." She confesses that, back home, her husband is exercising his skills as a former French pastry chef to fulfill her annual birthday wish: He is making her a birthday cake.

She debates when to start lying about her age and decides "not yet." She is 49 today, like the prototypical Cou Cou customer, chic, fit and - well - middle-aged.

Organizations That Track Evanston Growth See Many Positive Changes

By Mary Helt Gavin

Evmark, Evanston Inventure and the Evanston Chamber of Commerce have put together a presentation that attempts to sort, compare and otherwise make sense of the tangled stream of Evanston's economic past, present and future. Analyzing data from the past quarter-century of Evanston's jobs, businesses, taxes, incomes and growth, these three organizations (the "Business Group") present a snapshot of Evanston in the context of its own past as well as the present situation of other Chicago-area suburbs.

On the whole, concluded Diane Williams of Evmark, Ron Kysiak of Evanston Inventure and Jonathan Perman of the Chamber of Commerce - all executive directors - Evanston is in no worse shape than many of its neighbors and suburbs comparable to it. And in some ways Evanston is better off than many of them.

The presentation took aim at some often-stated beliefs about the City: that Evanston's taxes are among the highest in the Chicagoland area, that not-for-profits contribute little to the economy and that height and density in new construction are beneficial.

The City has lost manufacturing and other commercial businesses, which reduced the tax base. Countervailing, though not wholly equalizing, this loss has been the increase in condominiums and the overall appreciation of land values in Evanston.

They presented figures that showed that Evanston's tax rate is neither the highest nor the lowest in the northern suburbs and that not-for-profits are among the largest employers in Evanston. In addition, they said, since Evanston is unable to expand outside its present borders and since its "industries" are service and education, it is incumbent on the City and the community to attract more retail. Because much of the construction at present is residential development, the Business Group advocates that ground-floor retail be included with condominiums above. Added height and density in residential buildings, they say, will help generate tax revenues to help keep the City going.

Further, although there has been a continuous increase in condominiums - either new construction or conversions from existing buildings - the population of Evanston has not increased significantly over the past decade and is projected to decrease slightly by 2009. The number of families is declining in Evanston, and, as in many other places, the middle class is narrowing.

Population
The number of people in Evanston has remained about the same since 1980, when it was 73,702. Based on figures from the 2000 census, the City's Planning Department estimated that Evanston's population was 73,622 in 2004 and projects it to be slightly less by 2009 - 72, 875.

The white population has declined, and that decline is projected to continue - from 54,937 in 1980 to 47,775 (estimated) in 2004 and 46,912 (projected) by 2009.

The black population increased slightly between 1980 (15,804) and 2004 (16,685 estimated) - and is projected to increase only slightly, to 16, 912 by 2009.

Like many places across the county, Evanston has seen a growth in the Hispanic population - from 1,718 in 1980 to 6,709 (estimated) in 2004 to a projected 9,465 in 2009.

By 2009 the number of Asians in Evanston may have tripled from its 1980 figure of 1,988. The 2004 estimate was 4,621 and the 2009 projection is 4,631.

The population of American Indian or Alaskan natives - numbering only 100 in 1980 - is projected to be 135 by 2009.

Beginning with the 2000 census, people could identify themselves as being of "two or more races." The 2000 census showed that population to be 2,262; the 2004 estimate was 2,228 and the 2009 projection is 2,211.

The tax base and the taxes
When the tax pie is divvied up, the City receives only about 19¢ on the dollar; School District 65 receives about 38¢, and School District 202, about 32¢.

These figures have remained relatively constant over the past several years. However, the size of the pie - the total amount of property taxes levied by all taxing bodies - has grown enormously since the turn of the millennium.

Using the City's figures, the Business Group showed that the equalized assessed valuation (EAV) of Evanston -the adjusted value of the whole place - has grown from $474 million in 1980 to about $1.7 billion (adjusted for inflation) between 1980 and 2003.

Property taxes for Evanston residents have increased steeply. The Business Group stressed that Evanston's property taxes are high for the most part because the City has little or no manufacturing, has fewer businesses than it once had (businesses are taxed at twice the rate of most residences) and has high property values. "Residential construction continues to be a leading factor in Evanston's economic growth over the past several years," said Inventure's Mr. Kysiak.

"The Evanston real estate market values increased by 40 percent between 1991 and 2003," said Mr. Perman. Yet, he added, "Evanston still only has 11 percent of its land in commercial use," said Mr. Perman. The Business Group's figures showed 2,350 businesses are located in Evanston. Mr. Perman said, "We must be careful about trading our commercial land for non-commercial uses."

The figures also showed that about 42 percent of the City's land is off the tax rolls: Northwestern University, Evanston Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, nearly 90 churches and several other not-for-profit institutions, as well as City streets, alleys, parks, parkways and beaches.

Mr. Perman also said the amount of land that is tax-exempt in Evanston is comparable to that in neighboring communities. "Tax exempt land is not our main problem," he said.

Jobs and the Evanston economy
Income
The Business Group used U.S. Census Bureau figures (demographicsnow.com) that showed the per capita income for Evanstonians in 2004 as $36,112. Wilmette ($62,569), Highland Park ($58,698), Glenview ($50,183) and Oak Park ($40,952) were higher than Evanston, while Arlington Heights ($34,316), Skokie ($29,406) and Mount Prospect ($28,478) were lower.

Because of Skokie's major shopping centers, the taxes there are lower than Evanston's even though the per capita income is lower. Said Mr. Kysiak, "Though per capita income is less than the rest of the North Shore, Evanston continues to have both very wealthy and very poor citizens."

Employment
Evanston's economy is unique in several ways, said Mr. Kysiak. For example, he said, 13,634 people who live in Evanston also work in Evanston. With about 41,000 Evanstonians employed, the unemployment rate is about 5 percent - with 2,859 residents unemployed. Because a great number of the unemployed are youth, including many who did not complete high school or who were unprepared for a trade or vocation, the City has undertaken several initiatives to train and employ these youth. Some recent developments that received the City's help have promised to hire or train a certain number of Evanstonians in their projects.

Evanston businesses provide 38,459 jobs, 38.7 percent of those jobs in 10 businesses, according to the Business Group.

Economy
In past years, when the state and national economies were in a downturn, Evanston's economy was in better shape than those of many other cities, Bill Stafford, the City's then finance director told City Council members from time to time in recent years. More recently, the City's downtown area has been contributing to the local economy. For several years the Howard-Hartrey shopping plaza, with its big box retailers Target, Best Buy, Jewel and Office Max, was Evanston's "downtown," because of the sales tax revenue generated there. Retail sales in Evanston in 2004 were $853,853,610, according to the Business Group.

"Now [the actual] downtown is contributing an increasing percentage of all sales to the City," said EvMark's Ms. Williams. She said the number of new businesses grew 25 percent between 1984 and 2004, and the community has gained more than 3,000 new jobs in the past 24 years, including replacement of jobs lost through large company relocations. "Evanston's new business growth has tended to follow the growth of the region," she said, adding, "The City's future lies in retaining our major employers and growing new businesses."

Employer Employees

1. Northwestern University . . . . . . . . . . . 5,325
2. Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
and Evanston Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . 3,780
3. St. Francis Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,649
4. City of Evanston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,000
5. School District 65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700
6. School District 202 (ETHS) . . . . . . . . . . . .566
7. Presbyterian Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
8. Rotary International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
9. Jewel/Osco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
10. Mather LifeWays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
11. McDougall Littell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
12. General Board of Pensions of
the United Methodist Church . . . . . . . . . 270
13. Spartech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
14. Dominick's Food Stores . . . . . . . . . . . 250
15. C.E. Niehoff and Company . . . . . . . . . 160
16. Solucient LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
17. ZS Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
18. Pivot Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Principal Property Taxpayers in Evanston

1. Golub & Co., 1603 Orrington Ave.
2. Rotary International
3. RECPCBRE, 500 Davis St.
4. Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
5. Church Street Plaza, LLC
6. Evanston Plaza (Joseph Freed) (Dempster Street and Dodge Avenue)
7. Albertson's
8. Church and Chicago Partnership (Park Evanston and Whole Foods)
9. Evanston Hotel Association (Hotel Orrington)
10. The Hahn Building (1007 Church St.)
Source: City of Evanston