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Community Corner

The Tower Threatens Evanston Again: A 35 Story Tower. Word.

The 708 Church Street building is a dual-use building.Retail is on street level; it is a professional building on the top floor. William's Shoes, the second oldest business in Evanston is the anchor retail tenant. That business would be gone should The Tower be built. When construction snarls traffic and reduces shopping, the most vulnerable business nearby will be Barnes and Noble. If sales fall at this location it would be quick to close. 

Bright Horizons, a year-old daycare center and preschool on nearby 1629 Orrington features outdoor play areas at street level and on the roof. Construction noise, dust and the deprivation of afternoon sun will put this large business at great risk. The same burden for restaurants with nearby outdoor dining; Farm House, Flat Top Grill,Chipotle,Andy's Frozen Custard,Pret A Manger,Mt. Everest Cafe, JT's Bar and Grill,Lao Sze Chuan,Naf Naf Grill and La Macchina Cafe. Sidewalk lunch business will go to zero.

The second floor of 708 Church is compelling. That is the professional floor. The directory lists approximately 125 names; lawyers, CPAs, chiropractors, and many social workers, counselors, therapists, nurse clinicians and MDs. Independent human and social service providers.

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It is a uniquely non-clinical environment. Some people are very reluctant to enter a hospital setting with movement and crowds and fluorescent lighting. A teenager with an eating disorder is delicate; it can be much easier to treat that patient in the relative privacy and quiet of a place like 708 Church.

For seniors who are still ambulatory, it's a short walk from North Shore Retirement Hotel and The Mather. An older adult with dementia or early-stage Alzheimer's Disease is likely to be more comfortable in a place they have known for 60 or 70 years,while they still retain some long-term memory function.

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If each professional sees 5 clients per day, that is 600 plus walk-ins. Parents bring their kids so add 10% and you get 660 people parking, filling prescriptions at CVS, eating or having coffee.There are a lot of tenants in a small space. Good for downtown.

Everyone talks about the highest and best use. For me this place is irreplaceable, and I think it's very good just the way it is. The debate is about this old building or that new building but I have not heard anyone talk about the human services we will retain or lose. That should be part of the calculus.

There has been too little discussion of risk. What if the economy heads into a recession, and The Tower at Church, partially completed becomes a derelict building the way 1717 Ridge was for so long? I went on the Capital Projects bus tour and I see how the treasury could use more money, but this project puts Evanston at great peril. Anything that goes wrong with a deal this big will be a very big problem for the City. Better three smaller projects than the concentrated risk this all-in bet creates.

Urban life is a delicate balance, and this project is bound to upset it in ways no one can foresee. The Master Plan speaks of revitalization, but not at any price. This is a proposal brought to us by a developer and it is certain to meet their needs, but in no way certain to serve ours. It has already created divisive partisanship in the City Council, and a troubling instance of sponsorship.

We choose to live here precisely because our city is not overdeveloped and has college-town charm.  Look to neighboring places like Glencoe,Wilmette,Winnetka,Kenilworth and Lake Forest. All beautiful, and all zoned to protect that beauty. Let us keep Evanston on that list.

Please vote against The Tower.

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