Tower Talks at P&D: Both Sides Now

The Evanston Coalition for Responsible Development has distributed yard signs and established an online petition opposing the tower.
Right Photo Cutline: Architect Larry Booth says the tower will answer the question, "Where is downtown Evanston?"

By Mary Helt Gavin

The developers of the 49-story tower proposed for 708 Church St. came "unembarrassed [and] not defensive in terms of urban design" to the March 10 Planning and Development (P&D) committee meeting, presenting what they termed the "capstone project for the redevelopment of downtown Evanston."

Equally unapologetic were the dozens of residents who attended the March 17 P&D meeting to support the tower or to urge the City Council not to approve it.

Several identified themselves as members of evanstoncrd.org, Evanston Coalition for Responsible Development. Evanston CRD has distributed lawn signs like the one above throughout the City and maintains a website petition, with about 200 signatures opposing the tower as of Monday.

The Project
As now conceived, the project includes both retail and residential components, said architect Larry Booth, whose firm Booth Hansen is architect for the project. The first four stories would house retail shops and residential, but not commercial, parking. The fifth through the 49th stories would be set back and would comprise the slender residential tower with condominiums and penthouses.

Architect Larry Booth says the tower will answer the question, "Where is downtown Evanston?"

On the fourth story would be a green roof garden and a "wind spoiler" to dissipate wind and minimize its effects on pedestrians below, he said.

Mr. Booth also said the developers had commissioned shadow studies that showed no large shadow effect beyond the downtown buildings with the possible exception of late afternoons in some summer months. The traffic study, said Eric Russell of KLOA, a company that has conducted studies for several other developments in Evanston, showed only about a two-second traffic delay in the downtown area from the project.

Mr. Booth also explained the evolution of the project from a short building - "the shortest building that would work economically - and inched our way up until we got to a form that had the shape we wanted.... There is a trade-off between setbacks and height." The original building was a "blocky box in the middle of downtown Evanston," but now "there are 40-foot setbacks on all sides, and that is how it got to be 49 stories," Mr. Booth said.

Tim Anderson of Focus Development, which will be the general contractor for the project, said the development team - Focus Development and Klutznick-Fisher (James Klutznick and Morey Fisher) - "understands Evanston" and plans to create a "synergy between residential downtown living and the businesses downtown."

Mr. Anderson spoke of the "lifestyle elements" already available in downtown Evanston - the shopping, the retail, the bookstores and the movie theaters - and said Evanston needs continually to enhance these features to compete with Westfield Mall (formerly Old Orchard), which is adding these types of enhancements.

Mr. Booth said, "Evanston is one of the few places in this country where you can live in the City and walk to everything - entertainment, work, dining.... This is the future."

Requests From the City
For their project to work economically and aesthetically, the developers say they need to build up to 49 stories. They are requesting a zoning reclassification of the area and exemptions from the height allowances so they can build a 523-foot tower; and from parking requirements so they can build fewer spaces than the zoning ordinance requires.

Public Benefits
Steve Friedland, attorney for the developers, described the public benefits of the tower: generation of $25 to $30 million in tax-increment income; purchase and preservation of the Hahn building; a contribution of $880,000 to the City's affordable-housing fund; certification by the U.S. Green Building Council as a silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design); enhancement of the retail core; an opportunity to redevelop Fountain Square (including a "meaningful additional contribution to the City on redesign and redevelopment") and the architectural quality of the building itself.

Two of those benefits listed by the developer, though, are within the purview of the City Council rather than the developer. First, the contribution to the City's affordable housing fund is mandated by City ordinance. Second, the "protection" of the Hahn building from further development is not dependent upon the developers' purchase of the building, said Alderman Melissa Wynne, 3rd Ward, but "is up to the Council. We'll protect it."

In addition, Mr. Friedland said the tower would be one of only six privately owned silver-LEED certified buildings in Illionis. Already in Evanston the Ford technology building on the Northwestern campus has that certification, and recently completed Jewish Reconstructionist Synagogue is seeking gold LEED certification. The Winthrop Club, under construction on Maple Avenue, is also seeking silver LEED certification.

Pressed by some aldermen, Mr. Friedland and his clients said that, although they consider the rehab of the Hahn building to be a public benefit, they will not be able to do it without $3 million from the City. Ald. Wynne said, "I don't see how our paying you to protect the Hahn building is a public benefit."

The Plan Commission attached several conditions to its 4-3 recommendation of the proposal. "We support them all except one," Mr. Friedland said at the March 17 meeting. "Retaining the four-story base, adding a second story of office and retail and one floor of underground parking doesn't work," he said.

Public Comment
Several people, including local businessmen, spoke in favor of the proposed tower. Chris Mailing of Turin bicycle shop on Davis Street said, "Evanston is well positioned for the future. When we get serious about global warming or when the price of gas reaches $10 per gallon, downtown environments like Evanston will be immediately popular. Twenty, 40, 60 stories - it doesn't mater. We need to continue building the vitality of our downtown core."

Jim Marsh said, "This tower doesn't scare me.... I'm very excited about the future of Evanston."

Those who opposed the project said they did so because of its residential component, which they thought would add to an already glutted and slowed real estate market, or because of its size and character, which, they said, does not fit with the current downtown.

Speaking for the Evanston CRD, John Kennedy presented an economic analysis that showed the City would be better off economically if it fostered local businesses rather than the chain stores that tenant large developments such as the one proposed. Some of the small shops in the 708 Church building would have to relocate.

"This is not about height," he said. "This is about ... benefits to the City and the City's revenue stream." Delores Holmes, 5th Ward, who chairs the Planning and Development Committee, asked City Manager Julia Carroll to prepare a staff analysis of the Evanston CRD presentation.

Albert Hunter, former chair of the Plan Commission, said his final term on the commission expired just two weeks before the divisive 4-3 vote that recommended the tower proposal conditionally to the City Council. "My vote would have been ‘no,' he said. "There would have been a 4-4 split decision and the proposal would not have been recommended to you."

Referring to several condominium projects "approved by Council that are not going forward," Alderman Elizabeth Tisdahl, 7th Ward, asked the developers, "What makes your project recession-proof?"

Mr. Friedland said, "We recognize the cyclical nature of real estate and feel our pricing will attract the market." He added, "We've looked at the condos for sale on the multiple listing service and we believe we're in competition with only about 164 condos."

Aldermen also asked about the rental occupancy of Sherman Plaza, a project by these same developers. Focus Development's Mr. Anderson said the project was "sold out." He said about 35 percent of the units are rented, and a member of the audience who lives in Sherman Plaza said the number is greater than that.

The Planning and Development Committee will continue its discussion of the proposed tower and make a recommendation to City Council.

Fountain Square to Get Facelift By Memorial Day

Fountain Square has become an eyesore in downtown Evanston. The Council approved a bid from Pinel Andrews to restore the fountains by Memorial Day. Photo by Allison Hagey

By Allison Hagey

By Memorial Day, Fountain Square is scheduled to have a cosmetic make-over. At the March 10 City Council meeting, Aldermen awarded Pinel Andrews Contracting Corp., 1919 Greenwood St., a $384,925 contract to make the renovations.

During her Memorial Day speech last year, Mayor Lorraine Morton said she was upset at the condition of Fountain Square and brought the issue to the Council.

It took some time for the City to find what it considered an appropriate bid for the project, said Facilities Manager David Cook. The bid from Pinel Andrews came after the second round of requests for proposals, he said.

At the Council meeting, Alderman Edmund Moran, 6th ward, objected to the amount, saying, "This $400,000 project addresses an incredibly important project in a completely deficient way. This doesn't change Fountain Square at all, and to my way of thinking, spending $400,000 on that is a waste of money." He also said that one of the aspects of 708 Church St., the site of the proposed 49-story tower, "is the opportunity to rehab Fountain Square."

Alderman Cheryl Wollin, in whose First Ward Fountain Square lies, attended the meeting by telephone. She said, "It was the direction of the Administration and Public Works Committee to get that fountain working again. The direction of the committee was to get it working by Memorial Day. I would really like to see it move forward."

Alderman Jean-Baptiste, 2nd Ward, said, "We authorized [Facilities Manager] David Cook to get one bid. The bid is responsible and responsive." He added that he did not think these repairs should depend on the 708 Church St. development.

The vote was 8-1 in favor of awarding the contract to Pinel Andrews.

Pete Andrews of Pinel Andrews said his company plans to "restore [Fountain Square] to its original condition. We will be repaving, installing a new pool liner, pumps and drinking fountain."

Council Overrides Mayoral Veto of Budget

By Mary Helt Gavin

In an evening filled with procedural twists and turns, aldermen at the March 10 City Council meeting overrode Mayor Lorraine Morton's veto of the budget the Council approved on Feb. 25. Citing the number of homes in foreclosure and at risk of foreclosure, Mayor Morton said the 7-percent increase in the City's portion of the property tax was too great a burden for the taxpayers of Evanston to bear and not in the best interest of the community.

Information the Mayor had prepared for Council members suggested, she said, that the Council could reduce the City's contributions to the police and firefighters' pension funds, thereby reducing the overall tax burden to the citizens.

Aldermen unanimously rejected the Mayor's proposal and overrode the veto, suspending Council rules so they could vote on the veto the same night they received it. First Corporation Counsel Herbert Hill told the aldermen they had to decide whether the Mayor was offering a line-item veto of the pension fund contributions or a blanket veto of the entire budget. The aldermen chose to view the veto as a veto of the entire budget, the effect of which, were it to survive, would be to shut down all City operations, Mr. Hill said.

Council's approval of the budget came on Feb. 25, too late for the Mayor to return a veto during the previous fiscal year, which ended on Feb 29. Had Council not overridden the veto, the budget for the present fiscal year would have been invalidated, thus rendering all City contracts and expenditures null and void, Mr. Hill told the Council.

Aldermen said they felt they had no choice but to override the veto. Those who spoke gave two main reasons for overriding it - that they believed it was not possible to reduce the contributions to the pension fund and that they did not want to shut down the operations of the City.

"We heard from our previous actuary and our present one that we do owe $140 million to the pension fund, and one of our first votes on the budget was to fund the fire and police pensions," said Alderman Steve Bernstein, 4th Ward, and other aldermen voiced agreement.

"We cannot support the veto if it paralyzes the City," said Alderman Lionel Jean-Baptiste, 2nd Ward.

Alderman Delores Holmes, 5th Ward, said, "My first concern is the operation of the City."

"We all appreciate your concern for the taxpayers of Evanston. You have been a leader in protecting the taxpayer," said Alderman Elizabeth Tisdahl, 7th Ward.

Council members had to vote to suspend then amend the Council rule mandating that consideration of the "return" [the veto] occur at the Council meeting after the return. Only then could they vote on the veto, which, in a rare show of Council unanimity, they overrode.

Council Bytes

At the March 10 City Council meeting, aldermen approved a resolution on immigration, awarded funds for affordable housing and approved some fee increases associated with the budget for the present fiscal year, approved on Feb. 25. Citizen comment, the mayoral veto (see accompanying story) and items held from prior meetings consumed the greater part of the evening. The meeting, which ended just after 2 a.m. on March 11, fell just minutes shy of the latest Council meeting on record, said Assistant Manager Judith Aiello, as she jokingly asked aldermen if they would like to remain for 11 more minutes.

Immigration Resolution
The tug-of-war between proposed resolutions dealing with immigration continued from the March 3 Human Services Committee meeting. Three separate resolutions had been presented to the Human Services committee: one calling for the "humane and just treatment for immigrants and their families," a second calling for "comprehensive immigration reform"at the federal level and the third, a combination of the two. Although the Human Services Committee had approved the resolution calling for comprehensive immigration reform, Alderman Edmund Moran, 6th Ward, placed the other two resolutions on the Council agenda for consideration.

During citizen comments, the majority of the speakers from Evanston spoke in support of the "just and humane treatment" resolution; most of the opponents of that resolution were not from Evanston.

Council members adopted a resolution that called for immigration reform at the federal level and reaffirmed the City's policy of not conditioning the receipt of City services upon immigration status and not considering the immigration status of anyone arrested.

Other Items Approved
Aldermen approved a grant of $250,000 to developer Neal Davidson of Econ Housing, to assist in making affordable three units in a five-unit condo rehab at 241 Callan Ave.

To comply with a change in HUD rules, aldermen reserved $800,000 in HOME (federal funds for affordable housing) funds. Local affordable-housing developers may apply for these funds over the next two years.

Aldermen also doubled the license fee for retail tobacco vendors, from $250 to $500 annually, and increased licenses for food-delivery vehicles from $36 to $50 per year.

They also approved legislation to amend the City code to allow one-day liquor licenses in any zoning district of the City; previously the one-day licenses were permitted only in certain districts. These licenses are often issued for fundraisers, and under the new legislation, anyone requesting the license must pay the fee. No exemptions, aldermen said, would be allowed for not-for-profit institutions requesting a one-day liquor license.

Approved for introduction only was an ordinance to prohibit smoking at all City beaches, tot lots and playgrounds to protect children from being exposed to second-hand smoke.

‘Protection of Pension' Legislation and Rental-Unit Registration
Two hot-button items - a resolution calling for the state legislature to "protect" the police and firefighters' pension funds and an ordinance dealing with the registration of rental residential units - were held for further discussion. (See story on page 29 and editorial on page 6.)

Shooting Victim Dies

Evanston police upgraded their investigation of the shooting of Javor Brooks of Chicago from aggravated battery to homicide after Mr. Brooks died on March 9. He was shot in the walkway of 1124-26 Florence Ave. on Feb. 19 and was taken to St. Francis Hospital, where he died.

His body was taken to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office, where the death was ruled a homicide. Police said Mr. Brooks was unwilling to identify the person who shot him. They said, though, he received several calls on his cell phone while he was visiting friends at 1126 Florence Ave. Police Chief Richard Eddington told neighbors who gathered for a meeting after the shooting that it is difficult to solve a crime when the victim is reluctant to help.

The North Regional Major Crimes Task Force has been activated and will be assisting the Evanston Police in the investigation.

Development Offers New Take on Neighborhood Business District

These live-work spaces on the former Drummer Drapery site incorporate the "eyes on the street" concept.
Rendering courtesy of Ellen Galland

By Joe Linstroth

A seven-unit development of live/work townhouses is slated to break ground next month on the site of the former Drummer Drapery shop at the northeast corner of Lake Street and Ashland Avenue. The four-story homes, each to sport a private elevator, twin master bedroom suites and a storefront office, will modernize the B1 business district that was once home to a church and a grocery store in addition to the well-known Evanston window-dresser.

"Evanston has a lot of B1 zones located at intersections with residential areas surrounding them," said Ellen Galland, a local architect who, along with her associate Marian Tweedie, designed the project in her own B1 office just blocks away from the site. "Historically, they've provided local services for neighborhood residents, and increasingly they are sought after for small-business uses."

Co-developer Tom Engel, a principal of Walter Talley Land Management Company, said the 400 square-foot offices on the ground floor would be ideal for accountants, realtors and graphic designers. The owners can either use the office themselves, he said, or lease the space.

The project, dubbed "Homes That Work," will consist of two structures, one of three units facing south on Lake Street and a four-unit block on Ashland Avenue. Each 3,000 square-foot home will have an office, a two-car garage, three bedrooms and four-plus baths, said co-developer John Cunningham, with asking prices up to $895,000.

"We want to build in an intelligent and sensible way," said Mr. Cunningham, who started Walter Talley in 2000 with Mr. Engel. He said as developers they have to make choices that impact the quality of the product and the footprint it leaves on the surrounding area. For this project, they opted for geothermal heating to eliminate the use of freon and reduce heating costs. The floors will be made from reclaimed wood, and they plan to use a strip of land next to the alley along the north side of the property for garden plots. The site will have a private drive connecting the garages to reduce the development's impact on parking in the streets, said Mr. Cunningham.

Along with adding convenience and aesthetic interest to the area, Ms. Galland said, the B1 zoning found in many south Evanston neighborhoods promotes what the prominent sociologist Jane Jacobs termed "eyes on the street." In the early 1960s, Ms. Jacobs argued that a healthy, safe neighborhood depends on the consistent presence of people who have a vested interest in the area. The B1 districts ensure there are people in the neighborhood at all times - business owners during the day and homeowners at night, Ms. Galland said. She said she was unaware of a similar development for a B1 site in the City. "At least not tucked into a neighborhood like this one," she said.

Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Engel, both longtime Evanston residents, have a number of local projects in their portfolio, including the recently finished rehab of the former warehouse at 1800 Ridge Ave. that had been home to the Vineyard Christian Fellowship, and a vintage rehab of a 21-unit building at Forest Avenue and Lee Street.

Mr. Cunningham said the "Homes That Work" are expected to be completed by fall 2009.

Community Service Scholarships Available

State Representative Julie Hamos announces eight one-year, full-tuition General Assembly Scholarships to Illinois State universities: University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Chicago, or Springfield; Chicago State University, Chicago; Eastern Illinois University, Charleston; Governor's State University, Park Forest; Illinois State University, Normal; Northern Illinois University; Northeastern Illinois University; Southern Illinois University; and Western Illinois University. A scholarship advisory committee will guide the competition.

Qualifications for the scholarship are residence in the 18th legislative district; acceptance at a State university; and present and future commitment to community service.

Applications for the scholarship are now available at local schools, community organizations, area high schools, the Evanston public libraries, Rep. Hamos's district office at 820 Davis St., and online at www.juliehamos.org. Completed applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on April 25 at the district office of Rep. Hamos.

Fee for Rental Units on Hold

By Mary Helt Gavin

The amount of the fee for registering rental dwelling units in Evanston remains unsettled. First brought to the Council as a licensing proposal, the ordinance was changed to a registration requirement after much citizen protest.

During citizen comment at the March 10 City Council meeting, several property owners - many of them identifying themselves as owners of small buildings, some of them owner-occupied - spoke against the proposed fee of $50 per building.

Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, said to the audience; "If you have a problem with $50 per year, you are in the wrong business." Beverly Dyer, who said she owned a two-flat, said Ald. Rainey's comment "made my blood boil."

Jeff Smith said, "It's not just the $50 ... but the cumulative effect of the taxes. Taxes fall the hardest on those for whom life is already the hardest."

Ashraf Manji, who said he owns some small rental buildings in Evanston, summarized the opposition and spoke against
the proposal. "Much has been said about the inequity [of the proposal] to owners of two- and three-flat buildings. You charge me the same as [you charge John Buck.] ... It just angers me that equity is not one of the policies you bring [to this ordinance].... I am a stakeholder; I invested my life savings here."

Referring to comments by some aldermen and staff members that the ordinance targeted "bad landlords," he said it could be rewritten to deny registration to "bad" landlords.

Alderman Melissa Wynne, 3rd Ward, said, "We had a lot of comments about the inequity of the ordinance. Ashraf is one of the most logical thinkers I know, and I agree with him." She asked staff to take another look at the numbers and come up with another proposal.

Alderman Delores Holmes, 5th Ward, suggested a sliding scale of rates commensurate with building size. Aldermen are expected to discuss the matter at the March 24 City Council meeting.