Evanston residents expressed mixed reactions Thursday to a proposed townhouse development that would take the place of the vacant Dominick’s Finer Foods, Inc., 525 Chicago Ave.
Dubin Residential, a Chicago-based development firm, presented a plan to build 90 townhouses to about 75 community members who attended a public forum at Lincoln School, 910 Forest Ave.
The townhouses, which would be built on the corner of Chicago Avenue and South Boulevard, would be between 1,800 and 2,400 square feet in area. Each townhouse would have two or three bedrooms and cost between $300,000 and $380,000.
Some Evanston residents said the townhouses would be a good use of the Chicago Avenue space; others said they would prefer to see coffee shops or grocery stores built instead.
Suzy Crawford, who lives near Chicago Avenue, said the townhouses are a good way to revitalize the unused space.
“The developers are doing a great job,” Crawford said. “We should applaud them for working with the community’s needs.”
Arthur Alberts, also a Chicago Avenue neighbor, agreed and said townhouses are a good way to bring stability to Evanston’s central downtown area.
“People always express concern about how that area does in our community,” Alberts said. “The townhouses are a way to make sure it does well.”
But neighbor Kate Friedman said she would like to see a corner store, coffee shop or cafe open in the vacant building instead of a residential development. She said small businesses make up a vital part of Evanston’s atmosphere.
“When Dominick’s closed, we lost a community meeting place,” Friedman said. “A coffee shop would be a perfect place to congregate.”
Residents mentioned restricted traffic flow in the alley behind Chicago Avenue as another potential problem. Parents also voiced concerns about increased traffic around Lincoln School, which many of their children attend.
Area resident Jack Darin said he would like the city to explore other options before deciding to build townhouses. He suggested that the site could be used for retail space.
“We’re not being presented with many choices here,” Darin said. “The developer is just giving us what he can make the most money building.”
Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) said at least two other developers had considered building on the site. One wanted to build 300 loft units inside three six-story buildings. Another wanted to use first-floor space as a parking lot and build luxury townhouses on upper floors, while retaining some space for businesses.
James Wolinski, the city’s director of community development, said townhouses have been part of the city’s plans since it conducted a study of the Chicago Avenue corridor several years ago. The study showed that residents preferred townhouses to high-rise condominiums, a likely alternative.
Minimal competition by other developers and the size of the Chicago Avenue site persuaded David Dubin, the president of Dubin Residential, to consider building in Evanston.
“There are hundreds of condominiums in Evanston but few townhouses,” Dubin said. “(Townhouses) really fill a niche in the community.”
Dubin said the firm will hold more public meetings before making final decisions about the project. Then the architecture plans will be reviewed by several city committees before going to the City Council for a vote. The process will probably take about four months, Wolinski said.
