Community Corner

Mayor Stresses Economic Development, Jobs In State of the City

Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl recapped the ups and downs of 2012 and stressed the importance of economic development and jobs for young adults in her state of the city address Friday.

Looking forward, economic development and jobs for young adults will be critical for Evanston, Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl said during her state of the city address on Friday.

Looking backward, Tisdahl described a year of highs and lows, including the tragic shooting deaths of three young men, the opening of a new health center, groundbreaking on a planned Trader Joe’s and a $1 million state grant to create ultra high-speed internet access along Chicago Avenue. 

“It’s been the best of times and the worst of times,” Tisdahl told a crowd of more than 200 members of the Chamber of Commerce gathered to hear her address in the Hilton Orrington Hotel. 

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Touching upon the tragic shooting death of 14-year-old Dajae Coleman last September, Tisdahl said the city had more to work to do when it came to addressing violence. 

“We have too many guns in Evanston,” she said. “We must work to get guns off the street through buy-back programs and other means until local jurisdictions have the authority to enact real gun control legislation.”

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Tisdahl said a community meeting attended by 450 people after Coleman’s death, as well as a gun buyback program, were two steps in the right direction. The gun buyback program was spearheaded by community activist Carolyn Murray, whose son, in November.  

“With incredible grace, strength and determination, Carolyn came to the gun buyback, which succeeded in removing 48 guns from our streets,” she said.

Moving forward, Tisdahl said programs for teenagers and workforce training would be critical to preventing future violence. She also encouraged residents to form neighborhood watch groups and volunteer as mentors with one of the many local groups. 

On the positive side, Tisdahl highlighted the opening of the Erie Family Health Center, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Currently operating out of the Civic Center, the community health center is moving to a permanent location at 1285 Hartrey Ave. this summer.

Tisdahl also noted a number of new developments on Chicago Avenue, including a Trader Joe’s that will open some time this fall, a new 214-unit luxury rental apartment building called AMLI Evanston and a mixed-use office and retail development going up at the intersection of Chicago and Main. 

“The city of Evanston is doing and will continue to do everything possible to encourage economic development,” she said.

Increasing the city’s tax base and encouraging economic development would be critical to surviving the proposed budget sequestration by the federal government and reduced funding from the beleagured state of Illinois, Tisdahl continued.

To that end, city officials are in the process of negotiating to sell water to several towns in the northwest suburbs. City officials also hope that a $1 million state grant to create an ultra-high speed internet network on Chicago Avenue will also spur creation of a new tech business corridor.

On a smaller scale, the mayor praised the economic benefits of Curt’s Café, a coffee shop founded by former caterer Susan Trieschmann. .

“Susan sees a problem, analyzes it and solves it,” Tisdahl said. “It’s people like Susan who make our community strong.”

In the future, the mayor identified economic development, expanded water sales, attracting tech firms, educating young people to find jobs, providing affordable housing, providing health care and reducing the city’s carbon footprint as key goals.

But, she said, Evanston residents should not lose track of what made the city unique, and of the strengths that already exist.

“Let us remember who we are and why we have chosen to live in this marvelously difficult and wonderfully participatory city,” she said. “Let us celebrate that never changing.”


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