What Should Move In at Chicago and Main?
In our “Empty in Evanston” series, Patch looks at vacant properties around town. Today, we focus on the southeast corner of Chicago and Main, where city officials are proposing a new TIF district.
An architect's rendering of the proposed new nine-story, mixed-use retail and office building proposed to be built on the southwest corner of the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Main Street.
GREC Architects
Photos (1)
Photos
City officials recently held the first public hearing for a proposed tax-increment financing (TIF) district at Chicago Avenue and Main Street. The district was created in part to spur development on the vacant plot of land at the southeast corner of the intersection, where a developer plans to construct a mixed-use office and residential building.
As proposed, the TIF district incorporates a stretch of Chicago Avenue from Dempster to Oakton street, as well as parts of Main Street east and west of the intersection with Chicago. Just south of the district is the new, 214-unit luxury apartment complex going up at 737 Chicago Ave.
According to city documents, officials have proposed a budget of $25 million over 23 years for the TIF district, with the majority of that money allocated to utility improvements, structural rehabilitation and public facilities such as parking, streetscaping and enhancements to the CTA and Metra stations.
Related: 9-Story Mixed-Use Building Proposed For Chicago and Main
The vacant lot at the southeast corner of Main Street and Chicago Avenue was last occupied by a two-story retail and office building that was demolished in 2007. A developer planned to build a new, mixed-use commercial and residential building, but failed to make timely payments on the loan and ultimately went into foreclosure.
In 2010, a company called OMS Evanston LLC purchased the foreclosed property for $1.65 million, and tentatively plans to build a $20 to $30 million, nine-story mixed-use retail and office development on the site.
Meeting with neighbors last year, leasing agent Drew Nieman, principal at Colliers International, said he envisions the office space enticing medium-sized businesses and the first floor retail space attracting interest from restaurants, drug stores, banks and small grocery stores.
Several residents expressed concern over whether such a building was worth constructing, arguing that Evanston might already have enough available office space to meet demand and questioning whether an additional property would draw tenants in an already-strained real estate market.
Nieman pointed to the location’s proximity to both CTA Purple Line and Metra train stops as a significant selling point, and argued that there was actually quite little available office space in Evanston.
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Millie
7:42 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
Walmart or Drug store
Frank Nova
12:25 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Before there's any further discussion of Wal-Mart, there isn't anywhere near enough space for a store with 100,000+ square feet, plus parking. Secondly, even if you cleared out more buildings in order for this, the truck traffic at night and shopper traffic during the day would be an absolute nightmare.
Whatever your personal feelings may be about Wal-Mart, there's no way putting that, or any other big box retailer, in that space.
LaVerne
11:35 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
Dog Park
Kit Sullivan
2:28 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
What we need there is a PARK. No more high rises, no more retail, no more office space. We need green space.
John C Thomson
6:00 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I agree with no more high rises, but I want my White Hen back, My Main Cafe, back, Amazing Grace back. the rest we can do without. All of their proposals will only bring crime to the area and we already have enough of that. Traffic congestion is already overwhelming.
IMHO
2:47 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Walk 4 blocks east and you'll find a park, with a dog park. And a lake.
E.
10:48 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
The city needs real estate & sales taxes from that land. We can't afford to make it a park. And Walmart? Do you people read the news? Evanston needs revenue, but we should have some ethics & stick w/businesses that are not notoriously heinous about how they treat their employees. And while I'm not categorically opposed to big box stores, Walmart is the absolute trashiest of them all. It's out of keeping w/the surrounding neighborhood, & would bring down adjacent property values. I'd vote for a mixed-use development with some residential, office and retail. That stretch of town could also use another decent, affordable restaurant (not fast food or high end). And how about some entertainment? A music club or theater? It would be nice to extend the downtown district and make this area more of a destination. Whatever goes there, it had better include plenty of parking to accommodate the additional traffic. NO SELLING CITY ZONING WAIVERS ON PARKING REQUIREMENTS, as has been done elsewhere. In fact, it would be nice if it had a garage big enough to also offset the already existing parking crunch on nearby businesses, and maybe offer parking leases for nearby condo/apartment residents.
Procrustes' Foil
6:04 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
E., you are so right! Walmart is the worst suggestion. All Walmart does is destroy everything in its path. A good New York Jewish deli would be wonderful. Or, an artists' living/creative space, including a classical music venue.
Millie
8:04 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Walmart would generate lots of SALES TAX revenue.
John C Thomson
6:02 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
No Walmart, but not for the stated reasons you present, to much traffic, pedestrian and other wise. We don't need more people in the neighborhood, go worry about that empty mini mall on Dodge and Dempster.
LaVerne
6:51 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
@John
Now that the Council approved the TIF. Lots of people and traffic possible in that fancy office/Retail building.
LisaSt
6:52 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Personally, I prefer a mixed use with rental housing, retail, and office. Perhaps medical offices, similar to what is opening at the old Border's Books location, could be part of the plan. What concerns me the most is the design of the proposed development. Putting the building too close to the sidewalk and 2 heavily used streets does not allow for sufficient open space for outdoor dining, benches, and decent landscaping. I would also like to see more residential housing in this part of Evanston that is "breatheasy", like the Amli development a block south, and truly affordable for teachers, nurses, first responders and others of moderate income.
victoria smith
7:02 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
I just checked the rental prices for Amli apartments on Chicago Ave and I just had to laugh. There rents are more than my morgage! We need more stores that are viable to the Evanston community. I'd love to see something like the old Main Cafe open up again.
LisaSt
7:23 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
What did you learn about the rents for the Amli development? I always felt the City of Evanston's definition of affordable was probably not within my means as an employee of a library with a second job working independently. The city originally hyped the Amli development as being "affordable". I was told the rents would not be set at the Amli development until January. If the city wants to encourage first responders and other public employees to actually be able to live in the community, where do they expect them to live and in what type of housing? That's why I would prefer a mixed use for Main/Chicago, and certainly something like the Main Cafe would be great, not yet another overpriced, poor quality restaurant or Mariano's Market or something like that. But I do think the city will just cave in to the developers again, further ruining the neighborhood.
John C Thomson
6:32 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
You've got my vote on that one Victoria. And 'Amazing Grace' as well. Put the parking on top of the roof, like Irving Park Plaza at Harlem in Norridge. They have so many residential high-rises on Chicago Ave that they are going to have to turn it into a 4 lane boulevard, the kind that runs on California in front of the Cook County Jail. Now theres an idea, a North Shore County Jail, hahahahaha.
Jennifer Fisher
10:31 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
LisaSt, AMLI is advertising rents from $1,375 to $3,000 for the different units available on its website, at http://www.amli.com/apartments/chicago/evanston/
LisaSt
1:09 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thanks for the update. They told me rents would be available in January, so that was not true. I'm tired of being duped by developers, landlords and the City of Evanston. I actually just passed by the Amli development, and it really looks horrible from the Chicago Avenue side, at least in my opinion. So much for design review. There obviously wasn't any design review - It's all about generating revenue from sales and property taxes and cramming as many units into the space as possible. This is what Evanston is becoming.
Millie
6:43 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Most of the units look like One Bedroom.
Frank Nova
12:26 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Before there's any further discussion of Wal-Mart, there isn't anywhere near enough space for a store with 100,000+ square feet, plus parking. Secondly, even if you cleared out more buildings in order for this, the truck traffic at night and shopper traffic during the day would be an absolute nightmare.
Whatever your personal feelings may be about Wal-Mart, there's no way putting that, or any other big box retailer, in that space makes sense.
LaVerne
1:19 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Some of the Big Box stores are downsizing to small stores. Walmart and BestBuy are two that I've heard of. Think Sears is also. You put parking underneath like they plan on doing with office building and was in plans for Conso Building that was going to be built their.
LisaSt
1:46 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
No matter what any of us think, the City of Evanston has caved in to out of town developers and also Northwestern (re parking garage/ visitors center). Those of us who planned to live here a long time find this trend upsetting. I live near both the Amli development, and Chicago/Main. I don't like what I'm seeing. There are trade-offs. We are 4 blocks from the lake. We commute on Metra and use the purple line as well. But I would hate to see something like "City Target" (like the one downtown on State Street) or another chain go in around here. Congestion is already bad enough. There needs to be more people-friendly outdoor areas, like what Jane Jacobs wrote about in "The Death and Life of Great American Cities". None of the recent developments I've seen get approved seem people friendly at all. They're ugly, cold-looking and take up way too much space with no thought to better landscaping and inviting outdoor areas. But, I think we are on the losing side long term.
Millie
4:41 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Heard on radio earlier that one of the South Burbs is going to build a Casino perhaps this would be good location for one. With El, Metra and decent parking close by. Could add a couple smaller restaurant's to mix
David Harris
2:54 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
Really now - it should be clear that we need another Starbucks or 3 !
LaVerne
9:17 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
David already a Starbucks Chicago and Main. :-)
Marci
9:45 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
Why not one of the three theaters/arts district spaces that the City of Evanston is proposing for the downtown area? Why not put an additional theater space in South Evanston instead of three downtown?
I personally like the added green space, but I know that won't last forever. You can't tax green space. A few smaller shops or restaurant spaces like the old White Hen, etc. would be ideal too. Not a high rise. There are already plenty near there.
Maybe just a park with space for some additional wind turbines and solar panels to compliment what the new net zero Walgreens is doing down the block. But, I am an idealist.