Construction of The Tower, where 708 Church Street currently stands, will be overseen by a big contractor and the subcontractors they hire. It will be a union job site. Unions, as in carpenters and plumbers,pipe-fitters, electricians,excavators and crane operators. Does that sound like you or your neighbor? No? Then maybe most of those union-card-carrying tradesmen will commute from Chicago. They'll bring their lunch and a Thermos of coffee , work their shift and go home.
Construction, and all of it’s supposed benefits for the community? It's going on now, at E2, a 368 unit development on Emerson, between Maple and Oak.That's a 16 story project on the perimeter of downtown, nowhere near pushing 40 stories, the height of the proposed Tower.Have you felt the positive effect? Has your nephew been hired?
Most residents would say no.
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The City Council will mandate jobs at The Tower for Evanston residents, probably less-advantaged young adults. All that can be expected are unskilled jobs, e.g. wearing a safety vest while holding a flag, and waving cars around a parked truck that's blocking traffic. Is any job better than no job? In the short-term, yes. Is a dead end job really doing someone a favor?
In the long-term,no.
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What about post-construction jobs, the task of running The Tower? If it's a doorman building that's one job. If there is a 24 hour doorman, that's three shifts, hence 3 jobs. Base pay, about $10.25 per hour, with no benefits and no job security. Better than no job? Yes. If a single mom takes that job, will she be relegated to the ranks of the working poor? Yes. Maintenance staff; 3 persons during the day, two in the evening and one at night. Six jobs, at maybe $12 per hour. OK jobs? A chance for advancement, with clear path for acquiring career skills? Probably not. An on-sight property manager? Very likely, yes, and a good job at that. One good job. Can we be assured any of these jobs will go to Evanston residents?
No.
The Tower will enrich the developer but will not offer any significant, net-benefit to the public. There will be no new prosperity resulting from the razing of 708 Church Street. It is we who will have to endure years of construction noise and traffic disruption. The developer lives far away.
Tell your Alderperson No Tower in downtown Evanston.
