In an effort to move forward with the proposed Sherman Plaza, Evanston City Council on Monday voted 7-1 to pave the way for condemnation proceedings against Stuart Handler, owner of the 1630 Sherman Ave. property currently occupied by Osco Drug. The condemnation will occur if Handler and Thomas J. Klutznick, the plaza’s developer, cannot reach an agreement within the next few weeks.

The $100 million commercial/residential project, which will include a full-line Sears department store, 135,000 square feet of specialty retail space, a 1,400-space parking garage and a 200-unit retirement community, cannot be started until contractors purchase two remaining parcels of land.

The vote allows the city to sue Handler in the interest of the public good to take possession of the land and allow the development to proceed. City Manager Roger Crum can initiate condemnation proceedings as soon as he has determined Handler and Klutznick’s contractors have reached a stalemate.

“We are not certain we will have to condemn,” Crum said during the meeting. “But we will if the negotiations do not move on.”

Contractors also have not acquired the property occupied by Olive Mountain, 814 Church St., but city officials say they are further along in those negotiations than they are with Handler and are confident an agreement will be reached in the next 30 days.

Ald. Dennis Drummer (2nd) agreed that condemnation was not the best way to handle the impasse.

“I’m no proponent at all of condemnation because I believe that the market should regulate itself,” Drummer said. “But I’m voting for condemnation because I hope this will make both sides negotiate seriously. The city is very serious, and we want this to go forward.”

Ald. Arthur Newman (1st) said the development must go forward because it will generate $2.5 million in revenue for the city.

Ald. Steven Bernstein (4th), the lone dissenting alderman, said not only does he oppose the project as a whole but said the city’s possible use of condemnation should only be a last resort if negotiations break down.

“I am voting against the condemnation at this time to give the opportunity for them to continue negotiations,” Bernstein said.

Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) said there was a lack of information and communication between Crum and the council regarding the condemnation process.

Rainey said Crum should have given aldermen more details regarding the status of the negotiations so they could reach a more informed decision.

In other business, the council voted to introduce to its Rules Committee several proposed ordinances that would boost salaries for the city clerk, aldermen, mayor, township supervisor and township assessor.