Finally, Evanston has started to look outside of the downtown area for property tax revenue sources.
Last Thursday, the Evanston Economic Development Committee voted to recommend approval of a 221-unit apartment building on Howard Street. The new construction would be Evanston’s first high-rise built outside downtown.
The rental property, which will target young people and retirees, is conveniently located near the Howard El stop, which should also alleviate parking concerns.
For once, Evanston is doing something logical: Build something huge near a rail station, and less people living there will need cars.
We hope this will lead to a change in strained Evanston-Northwestern relations, as the city finds sources of revenue that don’t conflict with NU’s expansion. In a city where every proposed new building causes a controversy, it’s nice to see some progress.