Encouraged by the success of downtown, condominium developers are planning to transform Evanston’s skyline and add hundreds of residents to the city’s urban core over the next several years.

The towers could give the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and the city millions of dollars in annual tax revenue, but some downtown residents say they do not want new housing in the area.

On Oct. 11, the Evanston Plan Commission is scheduled to discuss Carroll Place, an 18-story condo tower proposed by developer Bob King of Carroll Properties for an empty lot at 1881 Oak Ave. King presented the plan Thursday to about 40 community members at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1109 Emerson St.

The $53 million building would have 175 condo units and would generate an additional $1,315,000 in annual taxes for the city and D65, King said. He also plans to donate up to $150,000 to a city affordable-housing fund if Carroll Place is approved.

At the meeting, some area residents criticized King for including only 175 parking spaces. The city requires a condo that size to have about 250 spaces, said James Wolinski, director of Evanston’s Community Development Department.

“We don’t have enough parking with one space per unit,” Scott Walton said at the meeting, referring to his nearby Church Street residence. “I’m afraid we’re going to be buying ourselves a parking problem by overbuilding the site.”

King said some of the new residents also could park in the Maple Avenue garage or use mass transit to get around.

Just east of the Carroll Place site, a developer is proposing an 8-10 story extended-stay hotel with about 150 units. Principal Daniel Beider of Atira Hotels said his firm is still looking for a brand, but Wolinski said the developer is considering a Marriott Residence Inn.

The plan involves demolishing a three-story building at 1890 Maple Ave. The 40,000-square foot Research Park structure was finished in the late 1980s and is now 75 percent vacant, said property manager Ann Persaud. Northwestern’s Department of Computer Science moved out in September.

Four blocks south of the proposed hotel, at 1567 Maple Ave., a 15-story condo tower could soon go up. Last Monday, the Planning and Development Committee, which is composed of aldermen, voted for the project. Acting as the Evanston City Council, the same people could decide next week whether to give the building final approval.

The 155-foot structure will contain 126 condos and 210 parking spaces, said Robert Horner, a principal of Winthrop Properties. The cheapest units will go for $300,000 while a 3-bedroom condo with a private terrace on the top floor will be offered for $1.5 million, he said.

Units will go on sale in January, while construction will likely start in early fall 2006, Horner said.

In addition to generating $2 million in annual tax revenue, Winthrop will donate $150,000 to a city affordable-housing fund and spend $100,000 to landscape an adjoining Metra embankment. Horner said the tower’s eco-friendly elements will include a green roof that will capture rainwater for reuse throughout the building.

The number of proposed buildings worries downtown resident Pat Blumen, who lives at Optima Views, 1720 Maple Ave. Sale prices for similar units in her building have been declining, she said, and property values will fall even further if condos are added.

“There are so many projects going up, I think there’s a glut in the market,” Blumen said. “I don’t see how anyone knows for sure if there will be demand for these condos.”

Kent Swanson, Kellogg ’86, a principal of The John Buck Company, is planning to supply what he calls a ‘unique residential product.’ He wants to build a 20-story, 210-foot tower with just 63 condos at 605 Davis St.

“We’re trying to create a more exclusive feeling,” Swanson said. “It’s not a long hallway of doors but several apartments per floor.”

Swanson said his company hopes to break ground in early 2006 and have the units occupied in spring 2007. Amenities such as a concierge, stone countertops and solid-core doors will cater to the luxury segment of the market, he said.

And at 1515 Chicago Ave., Optima has proposed to build an 18-story building with 175 condominium units that will sell from $325,000 to $1.5 million, according to city documents.

The Optima, 605 Davis St., and the extended-stay hotel have been proposed within the last five weeks, and no city authority has issued a decision on the plans.

But for Evanston property manager Tina Paden, who lives a block from the Carroll Place site, the proposed luxury units are a sign the city is changing for the worse.

“Evanston is known for its diversity, but it’s only going to be upper-class from now on,” Paden said. “They can cross out the diversity in Evanston.”

Reach Greg Hafkin at [email protected].