Building a new Evanston Civic Center would be substantiallycheaper than renovating the current one, a city consultant saidTuesday night.

Martin Stern of U.S. Equities told aldermen that, according tohis firm’s calculations, building a new Civic Center would cost$3.5 million less than renovating the present building. The figuredoes not include the cost of buying land if the new center were tobe built at a different location or the possible money the citycould make from selling its current property.

Stern said he and his colleagues are examining the costs andbenefits of building a new center at the current location or at oneof 14 other places. The current center, 2100 Ridge Ave., is thecenter of the city’s government.

Stern’s presentation came at a meeting of the Civic CenterCommittee, which comprises eight of the city’s nine aldermen. Butonly alds. Steven Bernstein (4th) and Ann Rainey (8th) attended themeeting.

Rainey expressed concern for the future of the current building,should the city move its offices to a new location.

“It’s such a beautiful building,” Rainey said.

But Bernstein said economic concerns must play an important rolein the council’s decision.

“It becomes a question of form over function,” he said.

Stern said the findings he presented were not intended to swaythe aldermen toward choosing a new building.

“We recognize that dollars may not be the only considerationhere,” he said.

Also at the meeting, nine architecture students from theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago presented the aldermen with theirclass projects — proposals for a redesigned Civic Center.

One student proposed putting a pond behind the Civic Center thatcould be used for ice skating in the winter. Another studentincluded a community workout room and swimming pool in herproject.