Planning Sessions Yield Many Makeover Suggestions for 'Everyone's Downtown'

By Mary Helt Gavin

The City plans to redevelop Fountain Square and perhaps enlarge it. Planning for the future of the war memorials will be done separately, and City officials have said they will include veterans' groups in the process.

More than a thousand visitors - some of whom were repeats - visited the temporary charette studio or attended special focus-group meetings last week, as the downtown planning moved from City committee to citizen participation. On July 21 about 100 persons attended the debriefing ceremony in the parasol room at the Civic Center to learn what they and their fellow citizens had recommended. The walls were lined with suggestions:  maps of the downtown area upon which citizens had written or drawn their preferences as well as designs proposed by the City's consultants.

City officials have been working for several months on a new vision for the downtown area to replace the one completed in 1985. Last year there were several public "downtown visioning" meetings, and for the past several months the downtown subcommittee of the City's Plan Commission has held regular (also public) meetings.
Last week's design charette and the public meetings that preceded them were intended to draw community members further into the process of, as City officials put it, "planning everyone's downtown."

Kevin Klingberg of the design company 180º and Kirk Fisher of Duncan Associates - representing two of the City's five consultants for the project - described some of the recommendations, Mr. Klingberg noting those he thought were best for Evanston.

The overall plan from this point, he said, is to incorporate the suggestions from citizen input into specific recommendations for four things: making a more intimate pedestrian experience in the downtown area; maximizing and improving public amenities; setting guidelines for "thoughtful" new construction and coming up with rules for new development.

The pedestrian experience
One of the goals of the new downtown plan is to "put more intimacy into the pedestrian experience," said Mr. Klingberg.

Among the suggestions were using alleys as "intimate space." The Alley Gallery, located in the alley west of Sherman Avenue, already uses that gallery concept, he said. One way to add interest to the west side of Benson Avenue, said Mr. Klingberg, would be to "cut space into the [berm] and into the street" to allow for small "incubator" businesses, set, he suggested, between mature trees.

Two-way traffic is not the enemy of pedestrians; speed is the enemy of pedestrians, Mr. Klingberg said. He thus suggested making Sherman Avenue a two-way street "to slow things down. On a two-way street, traffic is slow."

But two of downtown's two-way streets - Chicago and Maple avenues - are "too wide," he said. He suggested putting a pedestrian refuge (a median or boulevard) in each and widening the sidewalks on Maple Avenue, especially in front of the movie theater.

For the Emerson/Greenbay/Ridge intersection, Mr. Klingberg sees a "triangular roundabout," which, he said, would give pedestrians only one lane to cross, making the access to downtown easier. 

In the context of the Fountain Square redesign, he suggested closing Orrington Avenue for the length of the boulevard south of Davis Street, to enlarge that public area.

Improving public amenities
Fountain square is downtown's main public amenity, and planning the rehab of the square itself appears to be a distinct process from planning the future of the war memorials that at present form the backdrop of the plaza.

"Fountain Square needs to be bigger and better," said Mr. Klingberg of 180 º.He said his group also favored razing the Fountain Square building.

Assistant City Manager Judith Aiello said there would "definitely be a planning process for the war memorials. When the process beings, we'll be in touch with veterans' groups."

The design group also favored closing Clark Street between Sherman and Orrington avenues to enlarge Oldberg Park. At Raymond Park in the southern part of downtown, they suggested moving the playground from the center to one edge of the park, allowing for a greater gathering space, perhaps even for concerts.

Without giving a specific recommendation, the design group suggested that the location of the farmers market be revisited.

Thoughtful new construction and better rules for design
"Regrettable architecture," said Mr. Klingberg, tends to stay around for at least a generation. For that reason, the consultants urge the City to adopt guidelines for redevelopment in the downtown area that would promote development with compatible height, scale and character for the surrounding areas.

Better rules for development should result in the following, the consultants said: more predictability in design, a rational formula for defining public benefits, green building and sustainability, a focus on key urban design and architectural elements, protection of landmark buildings and a code that defines the "areas of character in downtown Evanston."

Mr. Klingberg noted several large buildings in the downtown area that present an "opportunity for redevelopment." If the Best Western hotel were to be redeveloped, he said, it is important to "keep a nice scale at the street - two- to five-story buildings - and have the tall buildings set back.

"Hiding the height" of buildings by having it set back from the street keep the pedestrian experience from being oppressive, said Mr. Klingberg, and it will also help avoid the canyon effect.

The consultants recommended looking at the average height of the buildings on each block to come up with recommended height limits. That way, not every building on a block would have the same height but collectively they would not exceed the following limits: 6-10 stories on the edge of downtown (Emerson Street, for example), 3-5 stories in the "gateway" or "traditional" areas (such as west Davis Street) and 15-30 stories - with the ultimate height of 500 feet - in the downtown core.

Many of the design documents are on the City's website, www.cityofevanston.org. The next steps are to take the plans to the Plan Commission in September and to the Planning and Development Committee of City Council in October.

Charrette Holds New Ideas for Downtown

By Bill Smith

The City plans to redevelop Fountain Square and perhaps enlarge it. Planning for the future of the war memorials will be done separately, and City officials have said they will include veterans' groups in the process.

The City's downtown-planning charrette wrapped up Saturday with planners suggesting a more pedestrian-friendly city center with narrower streets, more public gathering places and a wide range of building heights. 

After a week-long series of meetings that drew several hundred local residents, business-and property-owners into the discussion, the City consultants presented a series of drawings showing how those concepts might be implemented.

One possibility would be to close the stub of Orrington Avenue south of Davis Street to expand the pocket park in front of the Chandler building and build a new fountain there.

That plan would also demolish the Fountain Square building to provide enlarged space for a rehabbed Fountain Square. And it would surround the  1960s-vintage 1603 Orrington Ave. office tower with low-rise buildings of a more traditional design, consultants said.

Assistant City Manager Judith Aiello said there would "definitely be a planning process for the war memorials. When the process begins, we'll be in touch with veterans' groups."

Another design proposal would follow the lead of Bookman's Alley, adjacent to the former Varsity Theater,  and turn the entire space into a pedestrian mall with shops opening to the alley along both sides.

The consultants also suggest closing Clark Street from Sherman Avenue to Orrington to expand the park that fills the wedge between Clark and Elgin Road.

The planners suggest narrowing several streets to provide more sidewalk space for pedestrian use.

For example, they would add a grassy median down the center of Chicago Avenue, widen the sidewalks and reduce its four travel lanes to just two.

They would also return two-way traffic to some one-way streets, because, they say, two-way traffic pattern is easier for drivers to understand and safer for pedestrians as well. 

The consultants suggest splitting downtown into 11 sub-areas that roughly parallel the traditional, transitional and core areas proposed by the Plan Commission's Downtown Plan Committee.

Proposed building-height limits would be three to five stories in what the committee had labeled traditional areas – such as Davis Street west of the commuter-rail tracks. For the transitional areas – those at the edge of downtown – the height would be about be six to 15 stories. Their proposal would top out at 15-50 stories in different portions of the core.

The consultants call for revisions to the current zoning ordinance, which they say would do the following:

* Define public benefits with a rational formula.
* Provide more accurate parking requirements.
* Encourage green building and sustainability.
* Focus on key urban design and architecture elements.
* Protect Landmark buildings.
* Code different areas of character in downtown.

The consultants are expected to have a draft downtown plan and zoning revisions ready for public comment by September.

The full charrette final presentation and other downtown planning documents are available on the City's website, www.cityofevanston.org

Field of Mourning

By Mary Helt Gavin

Members of the Evanston Township High School football team were joined by more than 500 community members at a candlelight vigil on July 19 commemorating the death of Darryl Shannon Pickett. As darkness fell, the people in the crowd, each bearing a lighted candle and the name of an Evanston youth killed by violence, lined the perimeter of the football field.

The shofar rang out over the silent football field in the solemnness of an unusually clear and cool summer night - a call, said Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein, to the community "to look deeply into ourselves. Here in Evanston we've been given a wake-up call to refrain from violence.... to embrace caring, to embrace love, to embrace peace."

A crowd of young and old, black, brown and white - 600 by police estimates - gathered on July 19 at the Evanston Township High School football stadium for a candlelight vigil in memory of Darryl Shannon Pickett, who was shot to death at age 17 on June 28. He was a member of the ETHS football team and would have been a senior in the fall.

Civic leaders, clergy and ETHS students spoke about the need to stem the violence that, as Illinois Senator Barack Obama said recently, "is an epidemic that is sickening the soul of the nation."

Some speakers pointed to the need for stronger families and stronger parental involvement in and supervision over the lives of their children. Others spoke of the need for community involvement, setting standards for expected behavior throughout Evanston.

Fifth Ward Alderman Delores Holmes, who opened the ceremony, said, "Let this be the night we begin to set standards for our neighborhoods. We have to end violence, or it will spread."

Mayor Lorraine Morton said, "Is this the proper forum to address the problem that has brought us here tonight? Is the church the proper forum? The proper forum is the home. Let's get into the houses and tell our children the consequences of misbehaving.... We must take back [our] authority."

"We have had successful partnerships [with the community] since 1985," said Deputy Police Chief Demetrious Cook, "but I ask myself today how successful we've been."

Deputy Chief Cook said he believed there was a new opportunity for a partnership between the police and the youth of the community. "I'm asking the youth to take more initiative in stopping crime and reporting crime. We're committed to recovering weapons from the streets, but homes are where they are kept." 

Representatives of the football team, the cheerleaders and the Pomkits all spoke. One of them said, "I know that a mother should never bury her child, and high school students should not have to bury a friend." She added that one must look at more than just the youth of the community: "We didn't learn this [fighting] on our own."

The superintendents of both school districts also spoke. "When I heard about [the shooting], I thought we had failed," said District 65 Superintendent Dr. Hardy Murphy. "... We are the reason it happened, and we are the reason it can't happen again."

Lifelong Evanstonian Father Robert Oldershaw, who recently retired from St. Nicholas parish, said of the Evanston community, "We're all neighbors, because we're all in need. Let us pray for the neighbors of Evanston. All of Evanston is the 'hood."

"Tonight we grieve," said Dr. Eric Witherspoon, Superintendent of District 202. "Tonight we grieve for all young people who may be at risk – of violence, of being hurt. Tonight we care – about Shannon, about the community and the young people in it.... Tomorrow, we rise in peace. We rise for the children of this community."

Partnering for a Safer Evanston

By Mary Helt Gavin

A small group gathered at Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center for the July 17 meeting of Partnering for a Safer Evanston, an ongoing police-community effort to address crime throughout the City. Seven groups were formed after the initial meeting in January of this year; one of them, "Know Your Neighbor," became the focus of the evening.

Loretta Line of the YWCA-Evanston North Shore said the purpose of Know Your Neighbor was to help people get to know their neighbors. "The more you know each other, the more you understand each other," she said.  She said her group is putting together packages to help people hold block parties or other social events "so people can get to know each other on a different level." That way, she said, when a crisis comes, there will already be some infrastructure or common knowledge from which people can work. "When people can come together over a meal or a social event, it's better than coming together over a crisis," she said. 

Amanda Jones, senior-citizen specialist with the Evanston Police Department, said it was critical to get to know all the neighbors and urged that senior citizens not be overlooked. "Look at the older adults. They are the ones with the institutional community memory. They know their neighbors, and they know who are not their neighbors."

"Guns, drugs and gangs are what you talk about when you talk about safety," said John Harmon, one of the conveners of the meeting. "People talk about crime in the Fifth and Eighth and Second Wards," he added.

"Yes, there seems to be more crime in the Fifth, Second and Eighth wards," Fifth Ward Alderman Delores Holmes responded, "but crime is all over the City of Evanston. We concentrate on 2, 5 and 8 because [crime] used to be here and now it has spread.

"Partnering is to help citizens realize that crime is all over Evanston. We have to work together by setting examples of what we will allow."

Referring to Know Your Neighbor, Ald. Holmes added, "We like to have block parties and organize block-by-block, hoping we can get every block, every neighborhood to say – maybe even with signs – ‘No crack houses, no gangs, no litter.'"

Asked about the number of police officers, Police Chief Richard Eddington said, "There are 162, which sounds like a big number, but when you factor in shifts, days off, etc., the number is smaller. Twelve officers and two supervisors – that's your share of the police after 11 p.m."

Betsy Jenkins said, "Simply adding more police officers won't do it. [We need] someone [to] say to someone else, ‘Your child has a gun.' We need to do something to get people recommitted. Maybe it isn't bad enough yet." Both she and Ms. Line said they believe community members need to get past the feeling that all that matters is feeling safe in their own homes, forgetting the rest of the community.

Police Chief Richard Eddington said, "The perception is that all crime is youth-related, but that is not accurate." He said "Establishing Reality," another of the Partnership for a Safer Evanston groups, is working to provide a picture of crime in Evanston.

Chief Eddington added, "What we need from the community is partnership. The community has to decide what is tolerable."

Ald. Holmes said an August meeting is scheduled for the conveners of the seven groups; those interested may contact the following persons: 

Civic Education Initiatives (Claire Fisher, 847-924-4805,ev.reading.room@gmail.com);
Establishing Reality (Bob George, 773-256-5294, rgeorge@chapinhall.org);
Proactive Organization and Center of Communication Coordination (Rick Prieto, 847-864-1960, ricfprieto@yahoo.com);
Know Your Neighbor (Loretta Line, 847-864-8445, ext. 20, lline@ywcae-ns.org);
Youth (Sheila McCorkle, 847-866-2936, ext. 2108, smccorkle@cityofevanston.org);
Focus on Employment (Cam Herth,847-866-2920, cherth@cityofevanston.org); and
 Individual Ownership and Responsibility and Parental Responsibility (Nancy Flowers, 847-866-2919, nflowers@cityofevanston.org).

Council Addresses Affordable Housing

By Bill Smith

At the July 23 City Council meeting, aldermen debated how to get more bang for their affordable-housing buck while approving more money to finish an affordable-housing project that is nearing completion.

The Evanston Community Development Association (ECDA) returned to the City Council to seek an extra $126,865 for the rehab of a six-unit condo building at 736-738 Dobson St.

More than $100,000 of the additional costs relate to the fire alarm and sprinkler systems, said the developers – requirements that the City imposed on all condo conversion projects in 2005. Most of the rest covers replacement of rear porches and stairs to eliminate lead paint hazards.

City officials say work on the project is nearly complete and the units are already being marketed to potential buyers. ECDA, composed of several local churches and church groups, received $360,000 from the City two years ago to acquire the building.

With the new funds, the City subsidy for the project will be $81,144. The ECDA project has also received additional funds for the project. The aldermen voted unanimously to approve the request.

City staff proposed guidelines Monday for two new affordable housing programs.

Vacant property rehab
One program would allocate $600,000 for loans to developers to acquire and rehab vacant properties, most of which are single-family homes in the City's Fifth Ward.

The program would seek to rehab six buildings over a two-and-a-half-year span. City officials have estimated that there are about 50 vacant buildings in the City now.

The program would require developers to repay half the loan amount when the property is sold. The other half of the loan would be forgiven if the buyer stayed in the home for 20 years.  Resale prices would be limited to $185,000-$200,000, depending on the buyer's income.Developers would collect a fee of from five to 10 percent of the project cost.

Community Development Director James Wolinski said, "Building new affordable housing is anything but affordable, and the Dobson project shows that even rehabilitation of multi-unit properties is still expensive."

He said he hoped that focusing on single-family homes for rehab projects would be less costly because they do not need expensive features like the sprinkler systems required in multi-unit buildings.

Downpayment assistance
The other program proposed would spend $340,000 over an unspecified period to provide downpayment assistance for a dozen first-time home buyers.More than half the money would be reserved for households earning less than 80 percent of the metro area's median income, with the rest available to those earning up to 100 percent of the median.

The loan amounts would top out at $30,000 and would be offered at a zero interest rate, with the loan principal amount forgiven over a five-to-ten-year period if buyers stayed in the homes.  Administrative costs are estimated at $10,000 for the downpayment assistance program.

The aldermen took no action on either of the proposed new programs.

Council Approves Funds to Fix Civic Center Roof

By Bill Smith

Aldermen voted July 23 to fix the roof and hire a consultant to help figure out what to do with the building.

At a Civic Center Committee meeting July 10 the aldermen supported Facilities Superintendent Dave Cook's proposal to spend less than $20,000 to fix the roof above Room 4100 in the Finance Department.

Continuing leakage there, Mr. Cook says, has caused plaster deterioration that has led to the removal of the plaster from the exterior wall, exposing the bare brick for what he describes as a "loft-like" appearance.

Workers in that office have also resorted to setting out coffee cans to catch the water that drips in, he added.

Mr. Cook suggested that if the repairs are successful in that spot, similar techniques could be used to repair a handful of other areas where less severe leaks have been spotted, perhaps for a total cost under $70,000.

If those steps are successful, he said, the City may be able to remove scaffolding around the building that was set up to protect visitors from slate falling off the roof. He said the City spends nearly $10,000 a year to rent the scaffolding.

Roof repairs at the Civic Center have been on hold since late 2002. At that time,  according to a memo from Mr. Cook and Public Works Director David Jennings, the staff, based on comments from aldermen, decided to address only "life, safety and health issues."

Mr. Cook said the roof has been failing over the newer, 1920s-vintage portion of the building because of mistakes by the contractor who installed a replacement roof two decades ago. That contractor has since gone out of business, he said.

Mr. Cook said the slate roof tiles are fastened to wood sheathing that in turn is fastened to the cement-based roof deck. The wrong fasteners were used to attach the sheathing to the deck and, over time, vibration causes them to work loose. As the sheathing starts to slip, nails holding the slates also start to work loose.

As a result, some slate tiles have been sliding down the roof. Most are caught in the gutters at the eaves, Mr. Cook said, but occasionally one falls off the roof entirely, necessitating the scaffolding to protect visitors from falling slate.

The original portion of the building has not been affected by the roof leak problem, Mr. Cook said, because it has a wooden roof deck and the fasteners used to hold the sheathing have worked well there.

Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, said she believes the building should be maintained, whether or not the City continues to have its offices there. She proposed proceeding with a complete replacement of the roof, which staff has estimated could cost nearly $2 million.

But Alderman Edmund Moran, 6th Ward, said that with no decision about how long the City will stay in the building, he does not believe the City should spend that much on the roof.

"If the building has a new owner in a few years, I'd rather they pay for the new roof than have us pay for it," he said.

Alderman Steve Bernstein, 4th Ward, said a new owner might want to have a different color roof or add skylights or add more height. "I just think it's too much money," he said. "If we end up not staying, put it on the market and deduct from the price the cost of the new roof."

City Manager Julia Carroll said that once the aldermen have the consultant's report in eight or 10 weeks, they would be in a better position to decide whether to spend the money to replace the roof.

The aldermen agreed to spend $154,450 to hire Ross Barney Architects of Chicago to recommend which of four future civic center options would be most cost effective.

The options are as follows:
· Purchase a new site and build a new Civic Center there
· Build a new Civic Center on the site of the existing building.
· Alter the existing building
· Stay within the existing building shell and rehabilitate it

Mr. Cook said the City's directions to the consultant are intended to "create a level plane where all four options can be evaluated against prescribed design criteria."

Police Arrest Rape Suspect

On July 23 Evanston police announced the arrest of Evanston resident Darryl Deshawn Preston in connection with a May 8 home invasion and rape of a 22-year-old Evanston resident and Northwestern student.

According to a statement from the police, evidence was collected at the scene and sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for analysis. Detectives used various data bases to locate Mr. Preston's address, 2108 Dewey Ave. Police said the address was actually found in a pawn-shop listing.

Mr. Preston willingly accompanied detectives to the Department to answer some questions, police said. According to the statement the Felony Review Unit of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved the felony charges of home invasion, aggravated criminal sexual assault, unlawful restraint and residential burglary against Mr. Preston.

Mr. Preston appeared before Second District Judge James Karahalios on July 21, who set bond at $750,000. The next court date is tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. on Aug.16 at the Skokie courthouse.

Midway Ramblers at It's Thursday!

The Aug. 2 "It's Thursday!" evening of music and dancing features the Midway Ramblers with Cajun music straight from the Bayou at the 909 Davis Plaza. Jim Parks is the emcee and Evmark is the sponsor.

There will be dance instruction from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. and the band begins playing at 7:30. The Aug. 9 It's Thursday! will feature  Bopology, with high-energy jump, jive ‘n wail swing music.

The 909 Davis Plaza is located between Church and Davis streets at Maple Avenue, near the el and Metra stops. 

Round Table Artist's Weekend Features Isaac Gartzman

The next Round Table Artist's Weekend Aug. 3-5, will feature the works of Isaac Gartzman at Frame Warehouse, 814 Dempster St.

At the tender age of six, Isaac Gartzman is a budding artist.  His first series, completed prior to age one, was a constellation of random tempera footprints in various colors.  He has an ongoing multiple media SpinArt series, and is currently working on a 56-page storybook using colored pencils on construction paper.

Isaac has formally studied art at the Florence Heller JCC, The Old Town School of Folk Music, Apachi Daycamps, Orrington School, the Evanston Art Center, Lill Street Gallery, Glazed Expressions and with Art Party Playdates.  He derives inspiration from books, nature, other artists and most recently, YouTube.

This series, entitled "Isaac's MSP Art," is his first exhibition.  There will be a reception with wine and cheese for adults, juice boxes and cookes for children, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 3 at the Frame Warehouse.

Celebrating Nine Years of Beauty.

Georgia Parker, owner of Ashley Lauren Skin and Hair Salon at 1102 Davis St., celebrated nine years in the business with a customer-appreciation day on July 14.
  
Trained as a chemist, Ms. Davis makes the skin- and hair-care products herself. She began her business in her basement then moved to Davis Street six years ago. She uses all natural ingredients, she says, "and I don't water anything down. I'm committed to high-quality products for my customers."
 
 The company, named for her daughter, Ashley Lauren, ran afoul of the British company Laura Ashley a few years ago, but the matter has been settled, she said. 
  
Ms. Parker said in creating the company she wanted a "spiritual element" and that making women feel confident about their looks is very satisfying. "We deal with all races and all cultures; what I care about is making a difference," she said. Ms, Parker, far right, stands with members of her business board, from left, Toni Todgers, Fifth Ward Alderman Delores Holmes and Val Summers.

More than Boocoo at Church and Dodge

By Dan Edelstein

On July 9 a new effort to unite Evanston was launched. Boocoo is a new community center located at 1823 Church St. on the corner of Church and Dodge. This section of the Fifth Ward is famous for barbershops, a Greek restaurant, a clothing store and a corner store, but infamous for drugs, gang activity and the most recent Evanston murder.

A few years ago the Evanston Community Development Corporation (ECDC) set out to make a change.

The idea for a community center started with the realization that Church and Dodge lacked something essential. "There was no way to buy coffee [here]," said ECDC member and founding member of Boocoo Lonnie Wilson.

ECDC's Dan Chafitz, along with Carolina Pfister, came together to create a "positive presence that brings resources to empower the community through change," said Ms. Pfister. The planning started in May 2006, and now that it is open everyone involved plans to keep moving forward.

Built by a workforce composed mainly of high school dropouts and others in need of work, Boocoo has a name that is a slang derivative of the Creole French word beaucoup meaning "more" said Ms. Pfister. The word has, she continued, "an abundant presence." Boocoo, she said, is a "democratic device to fight apathy. There is something holding us back; [we want to] inspire change." Naming the place Boocoo, she said, is a way to show the new center's "underground" nature, its progressive values and intentions to build the community.

The café, the centerpiece of Boocoo, offers organic free trade coffee (and tea) in various concoctions. There is a plentiful menu of breakfast delicacies, along with soups, salads, sandwiches and mini-pizzas on pita bread. Everything is cheap - not a coincidence, since cheap food will attract high school students.
Fitness and wellness classes, as well as writing instruction, will be held after 3:30 p.m. to attract students.

"[Boocoo] serves as a microcosm for what is possible for peace between [socioeconomic classes]," says Darryl Aiken-Afam, the center's lead movement instructor. He said he "brings health and awareness of body" to his classes by providing detailed and specific information with activities to fit any skill level.

For music, Boocoo offers performance spaces, private and group lessons, and music production workshops. Boocoo also has its own recording studio for use at reasonable fees - a professional space with high-end equipment like Pro-Tools. For $20 an hour musicians can record music and receive a copy of their work. Engineer Jason VanHosse built the studio from scratch.

Boocoo is in tune, too, with Evanston's green consciousnes with its geothermal heating and cooling system. Boocoo is one of the first public buildings to use this technology, which extracts ground heat in the winter and pulls heat from the building during the summer. This saves 50-70 percent on energy costs, allowing more money for programs, said Ms. Pfister.

Boocoo is already connecting with the surrounding community. Down the street, Terrence at the VIP Spot clothing store said he and the store owner are excited to work with Ms. Pfister and share, he said, her welcoming philosophies. The developer of Church Street Village, Ron Fleckman, and his wife Jan are already cafe regulars. They have high hopes for Boocoo. "This is a corner that can have a life to it," said Mr. Fleckman.

Hopes may be high, but this is a delicate experiment, said Mr. Aiken-Afam. He said Boocoo is "poised at the peak of a mountain," and any gust of wind from either side could make it fall.

Americans have a reputation for wanting more for its own sake. The hope is that the positive effort that is Boocoo will not fall victim to such an empty desire.

Opposition to Height Causes Developer to Withdraw Plans for Second Downtown Tower

By Bill Smith

Evanston developer Robert Horner says attending the first downtown planning session earlier this month helped convince him to pull his plans to build a condo tower on the Fountain Square block.

"Seeing the level of distress about tall buildings demonstrated by many residents" had a major impact, Mr. Horner said, "the opposition seemed so intense."

Evanston is ambivalent about development, he added. "Everybody's looking for a solution to enhance the tax base," especially with nearly $100 million in pension-fund debt to make up, "but it doesn't seem that the City is willing to pay the price."

"To generate the tax base to reduce tax levels you have to have higher density and tall buildings," Mr. Horner said. "You need to utilize the limited land area in town to its maximum potential.

"That may mean some more congestion," he added, "but it's a relatively small price to pay, because new development is also what brings life to the downtown area and makes it attractive."

The developer said another factor in backing away from the plan for the 37-story tower involved the cost of construction.

"The building design was gorgeous, but because of its design characteristics it would have been expensive to build," he said. "When we looked at the costs and the prices that would have to be charged for units to recover those costs, it seemed they might be higher than what the market would bear."

Mr. Horner said the long approval process for development projects in Evanston was also a factor in his decision, "The major asset a developer has is his time, and I decided my time could be better spent than on the Fountain Square project."

He said he has just won approval for a 300-unit development along the lakefront in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood and is working on another 300-unit project in the West Loop.

Mr. Horner said it is possible he may revive the Fountain Square project at some point, depending on how the downtown planning process turns out, but he thinks the chances of that now are less than 50-50.

He said he has also pulled back from plans to replace an existing rental apartment building on Sheridan Road at South Boulevard with a new condo development.

"I believe we could have gotten that approved. The alderman was supportive," Mr. Horner said. "But it's a market-driven decision. With the current strength of the rental market and the plateauing of condo prices, it seems to make sense to wait."

New Proposal for 1515 Chicago Ave.

By Bill Smith

 A new condo development planned for 1515 Chicago Ave. in Evanston is substantially scaled down from the 18-story Optima Promenade project that aldermen rejected last summer.

Preliminary drawings submitted to City officials by Goss/Pasma architects of Evanston show a 12-story building that would replace only the mid-block one-story Heil & Heil building. These plans call for a total of 106 condos – 36 two-bedroom and 70 one-bedroom units.

The 134-foot-tall building would have retail space on the Chicago Avenue frontage with two floors of offices above that.

Behind the retail and office space the base of the building would be formed by four parking levels, with a fifth level of parking underground for a total of 168 parking spaces.

The plan locates the condo units on the upper floors toward the Chicago Avenue side of the parcel, with a wide roof deck over the parking garage on the alley side.

Community Development Director James Wolinski said architect Doug Pasma told him the developers would be willing to consider a covenant that would block redevelopment of the buildings facing Davis Street for perhaps as long as 20 years as part of the approval of the new building.

Alderman Cheryl Wollin, whose First Ward includes the site, recently said she does not want to see any building on the site that would be taller than others on the block.

The Optima Promenade plan rejected last year would have built 176 condos on the site as well as retail and office space. It would have also torn down the former Active Endeavors shop on the corner of Chicago and Davis Street and the vintage two-story shops at 518-526 Davis St.

Much of the opposition to the Optima proposal came from residents of older, mostly eight-story condominium and co-op buildings on the block who said the tower would have cut off views from their units, cast them into shadow and created traffic congestion in the alley.

Alderman voted to exempt the 1515 Chicago Ave. site from the current downtown building moratorium when they adopted the moratorium last month.