Evanston Hospital to Close Nursing Care Center

By Joe Linstroth

Evanston Hospital is planning to close its 32-bed Transitional Care Center (TCC) by February 2008. The closing marks the first step by Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) in its long-term plan to replace the current building housing the Kellogg Cancer Care Center with a new facility. Hospital administrators also cited a surplus of nursing care beds in the area and have contacted local nursing homes willing to take patients usually referred to the TCC.

"We have identified that there is a greater need for cancer care services in Evanston," said Raymond Grady, president of hospitals and clinics at Evanston Hospital. Mr. Grady said he expects the construction of the new center to begin in late 2008.

The space used by the TCC will serve as a temporary home for the cancer center.

"I have to [temporarily move] the current cancer care center to other parts of the hospital," said Mr. Grady.

Dr. Keith Sarpolis, a practitioner of internal medicine with privileges at Evanston Hospital, said the TCC is used by the hospital as a short-stay center, usually for one or two weeks, and for sub-acutely sick patients who could benefit from close proximity to diagnostic tests and doctors familiar with their condition.

"It enables [the hospital] to move a patient who is still ill out of a hospital bed and into a nursing home bed," added Nancy Flowers, the City's long-term care ombudsman.

In addition to providing needed care, the TCC also has helped the hospital cut costs by reducing the patients' length of stay. Ms. Flowers said many of the patients in the TCC have been funded, at least partially, by Medicare. "It was a way to get people off of an expensive unit and into a less expensive unit," she said.

"There's a huge push, in every hospital, to move [medically] ‘in-between' patients off the hospital floor," Dr. Sarpolis told the RoundTable.

"[Cutting costs] was not the intention of the program initially," said Mr. Grady. He acknowledged the hospital might see a slight bump in lengths of stay with the loss of the TCC, but he does not expect them to go up significantly. "We aren't going to transfer anyone to a nursing home who isn't ready to go to a nursing home," he said.

Mr. Grady cited a recent bed inventory update from the Illinois Department of Public Health which showed an excess of 437 nursing care beds in the region encompassing Evanston Hospital. But he said they are not closing the ten-year old program due to a decline in numbers. "Census on the unit has been pretty stable," he said. Dr. Sarpolis agreed. "Physicians want their patients there," he said.

Mr. Grady referred to a similar cut made recently at Highland Park Hospital, another ENH facility. It is very unusual for hospitals to have such programs, he said, and "in fact, Evanston Hospital might be the only hospital [in the region] that has hospital-based nursing care.

"These skilled service [providers] can do this better than we can," he said.

But Dr. Sarpolis said there are certain types of patients, especially the elderly, who benefit from easy access to diagnostic testing and specialists, and who are too fragile to transport to and from a hospital for follow-up care.

There is also no guarantee the quality of care at a nursing home is equal to the care provided by the TCC. "You go from a doctor who knows you to one who may not know you, and staff who may not know you," said Ms. Flowers. "You go to units that have fewer nurses and more nurses' aides. If you're complex medically, and you need monitoring, it makes a difference."

Asked whether hospital officials consulted medical staff before making the decision, Mr. Grady said he met with the clinical leadership, notified the department chairmen and sent out notices to all physicians. "There were very few objections," he said

Hospital officials have met with leaders of nursing homes in the area to discuss the transition. Ms. Flowers said at least 8 nursing homes, including Mather Lifeways and the Presbyterian Homes in Evanston, along with others in Wilmette, Deerfield and Glenview have agreed to take referrals.

Mary Leary, president and CEO of Mather Lifeways, said her facilities have ten Medicare-funded residential care suites that will be available for patients when the new building opens in 2009.

"Pulling out 30 more beds, it will be challenging," said Ms. Flowers. "It could potentially backfire for the hospital-their patients could end up going farther...We Evanstonians tend to want to stay close to home."

"I understand it from a financial point of view," she said. "From the physician and patient points of view, it's different."

Bulldozing Evanston: Waste Makes Space

By Elizabeth Foydel, Dan Edelstein and David Unger

Four major demolition and replacement projects are going on in Evanston: the former Kendall College property at 2408 Orrington Ave., the Mather Lifeways properties at 1615 Hinman Ave. and 422 Davis St., the City's Fire Station #5 at 2830 Central St. and the former Evanston movie theater site, together with a single-family house at 1716 Central St.

Various plans were put forth for a new use of the iconic "Evanston" lettering on the theater's marquee before the buildings were demolished, but the sign was stolen from the site.

Before the wrecking ball touches the first brick, the City must receive assurances that the razing will be done properly.

"When a demolition permit is filed," said City Community Development Department Director James Wolinski, "the demolition company goes through a process with us. Safety is paramount, so the process is the same whether it is a City demolition or a private one."

Utilities are turned off, phone and Internet connections disconnected, a construction fence is placed around the entire site and a release must be obtained from the Cook County EPA after testing for such potential hazards as lead paint is completed. For a major site, a plan is worked out for the hours and routes of workers entering and leaving.

Inspectors frequently stop by to monitor the situation, and the City must respond to citizen complaints. Contractors must keep the street clean in the event of mud, construct a sidewalk canopy to protect pedestrians if the usual pedestrian route is impeded, and hose down the site to control dust.

Central Street theaters
The old movie theaters on Central Street have been subjected to these safeguards, with the demolition company and developers working "in full compliance with the City of Evanston's regulations, and with the intent to follow environmental standards and reuse as much as possible," said developer John Crocker of J. Hawk DDI LLC development company.

"The only potential hazard we found with this site was an asbestos problem, but the asbestos was removed prior to demolition, and the site has been carefully monitored," Mr. Crocker added.

The materials of the demolished buildings will be collected and sent for recycling: Usable brick is being bundled and sold to builders for future residential and commercial use, and this will continue as the demolition proceeds.

Iron and steel, as well as non-ferrous metals like aluminum and copper, are being recycled at the foundry level and sent to scrapyards for processing; reusable woods went to lumberyards; nonreusable woods and drywall will be processed for future use; and the concrete is going to be crushed to particles of a certain size for fillings, Mr. Crocker said.

Mather Lifeways
In the demolition of the two Mather Lifeways buildings - Mather Gardens and The Georgian - a construction management plan was developed and reviewed not only by the City but also by the buildings' neighbors.

The Mather Gardens will be demolished with a number of different approaches. Stuart Greenblatt of the Mather told the RoundTable skilled laborers will use a wrecking ball, back hoes and motorized skids. CEO Mary O'Leary also said that electric-powered cranes, instead of diesel, will be used to reduce noise and odor.

The plan called for electric instead of diesel-power cranes to reduce noise and odor, for subcontractors to park in City lots instead of along residential streets and for specific truck routes that will minimize traffic in residential areas.

"We also worked with the neighbors, as well as Northwestern University and local not-for-profit organizations, to reuse the perennial plants in the gardens," said Mather CEO Mary Leary.

"Following its demolition, 75 to 80 percent of the Mather Gardens building will be recycled, a statistic that includes the concrete, masonry, and metals," Ms. Leary added.

The 14 stained-glass windows from the Mather's chapel will be reused in the new building, as will copper plaques from the Mather Gardens. "We're looking to incorporate some elements from The Georgian, including the lobby fountain and the woodwork," said Ms. Leary.

Fire station #5
In the case of the already-demolished Fire Station #5, fencing surrounded the demolition area, an asphalt walkway was laid to direct pedestrian traffic and concrete barricades separated the demolition site from the street.

The materials were contained on the site and debris was separated, with dirt hauled off to landfills while steel and other building materials were saved and prepped for reuse in an attempt to be "as environmental as possible," said the City's Facilities Manager David Cook and Frank Kaffen and Anil Khatkhate, project managers for the City.

All asbestos was removed prior to demolition, and no rodent infestation or lead in the windows was found during the contamination inspections that were a part of the permitting process, the City officials said.

The new station is to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified; the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant that will give the station high-end "green" equipment, such as solar power, that makes for a comfortable and environmentally-friendly living space for the firemen, said Mr. Cook. Fire Station #5 will be the first fire station in the North Shore to play host to such green technology, he added. No artifacts from the infastructure were preserved.

Kendall College
For the Kendall College site, a private firm licensed b the Illinois EPA inspected the site, and the asbestos that was found was removed in accordance with EPA requirements. Rita Heneghan of Heneghan Wrecking, the company responsible for the Kendall College demolition, said there was "no concern" about lead on the Kendall site, and no special precautions were taken to exterminate potential pests, such as rats or cockroaches.

The demolition of the Kendall College building was completed by Heneghan Wrecking. A wrecking ball was used in order to minimize the dispersal of dust. Using hoses connected to fire hydrants, demolition workers sprayed the site with water during demolition to further contain dust.

The City's traffic engineering department approved Heneghan's truck routes to and from the construction site. Although Evanston does not mandate that a specific percentage of construction and demolition material be recycled, Ms. Heneghan said her company voluntarily follows LEED guidelines for sustainable building. "A lot of material is recycled," she said.

Heneghan Wrecking hauled concrete debris from the Kendall site to Orange Crush Road Builders and Material Suppliers and took the remaining materials to a Veolia environmental transfer station off Church Street.

There is at least one remnant of the former Swedish Theological seminary which first occupied the former Kendall site: a single column from Wesley Hall, the Kendall administration building, has been preserved for sale to the Northeast Evanston Historic District.

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"Eyes on the Dust And Dust in the Eyes"

James Wolinski, director of Evanston's Community Development Department told the RoundTable, "the City's primary concern is public safety." On large demolition projects like the Kendall College site, inspections are made every couple of days to ensure that the proper regulations are being met. Neighbors of these current sites are watching as well.

Julie Heinz of Preston's Flowers spoke highly of the demolition of the Evanston Theaters taking place next door to the flower shop. "The demolition team has been wonderful," she said. "They're very concerned about the people around them." Ms. Heinz said she is looking forward to the new condos bringing expanded retail space and increased business. "Evanston must change," she said, and the demolition "hasn't been an issue at all." She then added with a laugh, "But it just started, so ask me again in a month."

Residents near the Kendall College site have not experienced any serious problems but are feeling some effects of the local demolition. Resident Judy Fiske said her house shakes during the demolition work - a potential problem in a neighborhood where there are many stucco houses prone to cracks, she said. Although Heneghan Wrecking has met all the City's requirements, Ms. Fiske and others still say they experience some inconveniences. Minor complaints have been made to the City but, Ms. Fiske said, nothing has been done. Barbara Janes, another Kendall resident, is not in full support of the new development but says she hopes the City will ensure the site is properly maintained.

A receptionist at the Homestead Hotel reported no major issues with the nearby demolition of the Mather Gardens building. There have been some minor noise complaints but nothing has been reported to the City, she added.

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Regulating Demolitions

In Evanston there are no requirements for recycling construction and demolition debris though representatives from Evanston-based Zigmil Construction and the company responsible for the Kendall College demolition, Heneghan Wrecking, told the RoundTable that they voluntarily recycle construction and demolition debris. For the disposal of hazardous materials, contractors must obtain a City building permit and demonstrate how and when asbestos, lead or other hazardous materials are removed.

Construction and demolition debris is leftover material generated during construction, remodeling, repair, or demolition of utilities, structures and roads. According to the National Association of Home Builders, this debris accounts for 24 percent of all municipal waste generated in the United States. Some materials, such as wood, certain metals, asphalt, concrete and corrugated cardboard can be recycled as this often saves money and is more environmentally-friendly than landfill disposal. Other types of debris, like lead or asbestos, are hazardous and require special handling and disposal.

Some major U.S. cities like Chicago and Portland, Ore., require that contractors recycle construction and demolition debris. Beginning with permits applied for by Jan. 1, 2007 contractors of large demolition projects in Chicago must recycle 50 percent of generated debris as measured by weight. The city offers construction and demolition recycling seminars and an online guide for contractors.

Prior to demolition or construction, contractors must submit sworn statements to the city declaring the presence or absence of lead paint or asbestos at the site. If such materials are present, the contractors must provide evidence that the materials will be removed or contained by licensed professionals.

In Portland, Oregon all building projects with a permit value of $50,000 or more (including both construction and demolition phases) must separate and recycle rubble (concrete/asphalt), land clearing debris, corrugated cardboard, metals and wood.

Portland offers several materials to help contractors execute a recycling plan, including a free online exchange for reusable building materials (www.bpneyardNW.com). Its Small-Business Hazardous Waste Program provides hazardous waste management services for the city in accordance with Oregon state laws.

Affordable Rehab on the 2000 Block of Wesley

By Dan Edelstein

The affordable-housing apartments on the 2000 block of Wesley are made up of 24 two- and three-bedroom apartments. Purchased in 1986 as the first affordable housing project by the Evanston Housing Coalition, these "California-style" buildings were rehabbed once in the beginning of the 1990s. Almost two decades later, they are being renovated again.

On June 25 the City Council approved $180,000 for repairs of the affordable rental apartments at 2014, 2018 and 2024 Wesley Ave. These three buildings are part of the Evanston Housing Coalition's (EHC) Affordable Housing Project.

George Gauthier of the EHC told the RoundTable it is primarily families who live in the 24 two- and three-bedroom units that make up the three "California style" structures, in which the front doors open to exposed cement balconies.

Mr. Gauthier said hairline cracks in the cement have developed, allowing water to leak through. The cracks are also displacing the concrete that holds the structure in place. At the June 11 Planning and Development Committee (P&D) meeting, Mr. Gauthier described the problem as being caused by the un-California, northern Illinois weather conditions and the salt and snow-shoveling treatment. Mr. Gauthier said while it is not a fundamental part of the building that needs to be repaired, the problem must be addressed.

"It is a worthy cause. Over time things wear out and must be replaced," Mayor Lorraine Morton told the RoundTable. The Eighth Ward Alderman Ann Rainey questioned the project at the June 11 meeting, saying the problems had not been cited as code violations by the City. Donna Spicuzza of the City's planning division told the RoundTable the problems "were not inspected, but [the repair] is something that needs to be done."

Mr. Gauthier told the RoundTable the money awarded by the City is enough to make the required repairs, most important of which include sealing the cracks.

Teams composed of Evanston, non-union and minority workers will grind out the cracks and fill the holes with a sealer that should hold for the next five years, said Mr. Gauthier. He added the tenants can walk on the balconies safely while the cracks are being ground, but they must remain inside or vacate the premises while the sealer is drying.

"This is a good project to sustain the life of the building," said Mr. Gauthier. At the June 11 meeting He said future repairs will not require the same preparation or City funds.

"People that live with lower incomes want to live just like people with higher incomes. We should fix up the places as you would for the rich. The City has the money for these projects and as long as we have the money we should use it," Mayor Lorraine Morton told the RoundTable.

The units are rented to people who earn less than 60 percent of the median income (most earn significantly less, Mr. Gauthier told the RoundTable), more than half of whom are employed, while the rest receive Social Security benefits.

Fifth Ward Alderman Delores Holmes said low-income residents "need to live in decent housing that won't make them bankrupt. I would be the first one to approve [such a project]."

Information presented at the June 25 P&D meeting showed a few of the tenants have been behind on their rent, something that drew criticism from Ald. Rainey. Mr. Gauthier responsded that these tenants are receiving some rental subsidy or have rental vouchers.

Mayor Morton also told the RoundTable she thinks it is more important to make sure these tenants have decent housing than to focus on their minor faults. She added she is impressed with Mr. Gauthier's dedication to the tenants, which has included being on-site every day and helping them to pay their rent.
Ms. Spicuzza said Mr. Gauthier does not ignore the tenants; he works with them.

Mr. Gauthier said the repairs for the buildings on the 2000 block of Wesley are scheduled to begin in the middle of August and to be completed by the end of September.

Tower Hearing I: Cheers and Fears

By Bill Smith

The plan for a 49-story tower on the Fountain Square block drew cheers from local design professionals but jeers from some other residents at this month's Evanston Plan Commission hearing.

Architect Stephen Yas, who lives on the edge of downtown at 1889 Maple Ave., said that he and other members of the non-profit group Design Evanston have reviewed the plans with the developers and believe the project will be a "profoundly welcome landmark for our downtown urban core" and that the design "is likely to be recognized far beyond our city's borders."

But Paul Barker of 815 Oakton St., an artist, said that while the building is beautiful, it would only be appropriate in Chicago, "not in my back yard."

He said here the building would be "a monster" and that population limits should be set for downtown and all of Evanston.

Mr. Yas suggested that the new tower, combined with a revitalized Fountain Square plaza, would provide for Evanston a modern equivalent to the Piazza San Marco, the central landmark and gathering place in Venice.

He said the building, with 218 condo units, two floors of retail space and three levels of parking would be "less dense than the Park Evanston and Sherman Plaza" developments downtown.

He said the design was "superb architecture" and praised the 37.5 foot setback of the tower from the property line on its three bordering streets.

But Mr. Yas said the design group would like to see further articulation in the design for the parking levels, something the project architect, George Halik, said he was working on. And Mr. Yas urged the developers to seek a higher level of environmental, or LEED, certification than they have so far committed to.

Patrick Coffey, 807 Church St., president of the Evanston Galleria's condo association, said at least 10 of the 54 unit owners in his building have said they would put their units up for sale if the new project is approved.

"We lived through Sherman Plaza going up," Mr. Coffey said. "We dealt with construction noise, pounding, dirt and mess, even overspray on our cars on our parking deck. And now we're dealing with the noise of air conditioners from that building.

"Many people have come up to me and are saying ‘We won't go through another three years of construction,' and it would be just devastating for our building to put that many units on the market all at once."

Gerald Gordon, 1228 Lake St., said, "I'm basically for this project," but he asked whether the developers were asking for any financial assistance from the City.

The developer's attorney, Steve Friedland, said the developers are not asking any financial assistance from the City and said that incremental tax revenue from the project, which has to be spent on projects that benefit the tax increment financing district in which the project is located, could be used by the City to restore Fountain Square.

At the hearing the tower's developers announcedthat they have reached agreement to acquire the neighboring landmark Hahn Building.

Developer Tim Anderson of Focus Development said they plan to maintain the three-story Hahn Building "in its historic context."

"We won't gut the building and leave the facade," he added - apparently referring to the plan from another developer, since withdrawn, for building a 37-story tower atop the landmark building.

Mr. Anderson said the developers plan to fix up the existing façade of the building and retain the existing Class B office space on the second and third floors.

Loss of Class B office space under the two tower proposals for the block had led to objections to the plans from tenants in smaller professional offices downtown who said higher rents in new buildings would force them to leave the downtown area.

Task Force Offers Seminars to Avoid Foreclosure

By Jasmine S. Brewer, Fair Housing Coordinator, Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs

The skyrocketing number of home foreclosures has emerged as one of the top housing issues in the nation. The Evanston Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, a coalition of Evanston community groups and social service providers, has stepped up its efforts to address the crisis. The Task Force will host a series of educational seminars that kick off this fall aimed at preventing foreclosures by reaching out to those most at risk.

Sub-prime loans and adjustable rate mortgages, or ARMs, are available to individuals with blemished credit, but are frequently offered by unscrupulous lenders who do not factor in ability to repay the loan. ARM products start borrowers with two to three years of modest monthly payments, often interest-only, which then reset and adjust rapidly upward leaving many borrowers in serious financial trouble. At that point, the homeowner is vulnerable to foreclosure.

Foreclosures in Illinois jumped 55 percent in 2006, up to 72,455, and are expected to rise even higher in 2007. One in five sub-prime mortgages originated in Illinois in 2006 is projected to end in foreclosure. If this statistic stands for Evanston, then approximately 140 homes are at risk, and more than 70 percent will be in the predominantly African-American west side, especially affecting long-time, elderly homeowners.

While some forms of predatory lending are on the decline, the have been replaced by insidious "rescue fraud," also known as "equity stripping," which further exploits victims by refinancing the predatory loan by essentially buying and leasing back the home at an exorbitant rate. "Exotic mortgages" are products that provide a risky 100 percent financing and now account for nearly 50 percent of all new home loans.

Not only does predatory lending create an enormous obstacle for individuals to overcome, neighborhoods lose their vibrancy as they become riddled with vacant, boarded up homes. It is estimated that every new foreclosure can cost stakeholders up to $80,000 when considering the costs to homeowners, lenders, neighbors and local governments. By contrast, a prevented foreclosure costs only an estimated $3,300.

Both the Illinois legislature and Congress have been exploring ways to protect homebuyers through mandatory housing counseling and stricter guidelines for lenders. Senate Bill 1167, which now awaits the signature of Governor Rod Blagojevich, would mandate that brokers and lenders assess a borrower's ability to repay the loan, offer the best options to the borrower, and provide full disclosure about terms, conditions and payment schedule.

The first two seminars are directed at first-time homebuyers and will take place at BooCoo Cultural Center, 1832 Church St. Lending Options, scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 13, will focus on the types of loans available and possible consequences of those loans. Speakers include representatives from Evanston First Bank & Trust and Clybourn Financial Services. Legal Perspectives of Home Preservation, scheduled for 7-9 p.m. on Oct.4, will feature an Evanston resident who has experienced foreclosure will highlight the red flags of an unscrupulous loan.

Anyone who wishes additional information or who wishes to register for the upcoming seminars may contact either Jasmine Brewer, at jasmine@interfaithhousingcenter.org or 847-501-5768, ext. 404, or Cathy Katona, at ckatona@mac.com or 847-756-0159.

Council Postpones Decision On Transfer-Tax Increase

By Bill Smith

At the Aug. 13 City Council meeting, aldermenpostponed a decision on whether to ask voters to approve a 20-percent increase in the real estate transfer tax to help fund police and fire pensions.

The delay came after City Manager Julia Carroll announced that staff would present a series of recommendation on how to address the City's $100 million pension funding shortfall at a special City Council meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 5.

Aldermen Lionel Jean-Baptiste, 2nd Ward, and Steve Bernstein, 4th Ward, moved to postpone the vote until after that presentation.

Alderman Edmund Moran, 6th Ward, argued against the pension funding referendum, saying it would be unfair to burden those who are selling their homes and leaving town with the cost of the police and fire pension shortfall.

Alderman Elizabeth Tisdahl, 7th Ward, who proposed the new referendum, responded that those homeowners have had the benefit of police and fire service for all the years they have been in the City. She said the pension funding shortfall built up over the years is partly their responsibility, and she felt it was fair to have them pay part of the cost.

She said she felt it was important to get as early a start as possible on the referendum campaign to convince voters of the need for the increase, before the presidential primary, which will also be on the ballot, distracts the public's attention.

Dave Ellis of 1319 Grant St., former president of the firefighters' union, said that while affordable housing is a noble concept, the City should not take on any new programs until its pension funding and infrastructure problems are resolved.

The police and firefighters have always paid their share of contributions to the pension fund as required by law, Mr. Ellis said, adding he thought it was time for the City to do the same. He suggested that the City also consider increasing permit fees and fuel taxes and dedicate tax increment finance district revenues to the pension program.