By Peter JacksonThe Daily Northwestern

Two proposed skyscrapers for downtown Evanston’s Fountain Square block may escape the building moratorium aldermen approved Tuesday night.

The proposed halt to all new development in downtown comes as consultants develop a master plan for downtown encompassing the nature of businesses, building heights and traffic flow. The two sites, however, are being labeled “in the pipeline” by city officials, a status that could exempt them from the possible development freeze. Together, the proposals cover the entirety of the Fountain Square block, bounded by Church Street and Sherman and Orrington avenues. Aldermen, developers and city officials consider the block the center of downtown.

The first proposal calls for a 49-story condominium tower along Church Street at the block’s north end. This proposal, spearheaded by developers Tim Anderson and Jim and Mark Klutznick, seems most likely to skirt the moratorium. Developers of the other proposal, which includes three buildings at the south of the block – including a 37-story tower – sought to present their plans to aldermen at an unusual executive session Tuesday night. City officials denied that request, developer John Mangel said Tuesday, and told them to present their plan during the regular Planning and Development Committee, something he said they will not do.

Developers of the first proposal, Tim Anderson and Jim and Mark Klutznick, showed models of their plan to aldermen and influential Evanston businessmen and officials in private before revealing it to the public.

Still, Mangel said he believed that by submitting plans last week, the proposal will not be affected by the moratorium.

“We had heard rumors of the moratorium, and wanted to get our plan in there,” he said.

Aldermen also discussed scheduling an unusual private meeting before the moratorium vote, presumably to consider an exemption for two proposed developments. The motion failed 7-2.

City officials, including assistant city manager Judith Aiello and community development director James Wolinski, declined to say if the city could approve both projects. Statements from both in the past have implied that whichever spruces up the aging Fountain Square at the south end of the block could derail the other plan.

The second proposal appropriates funds for re-landscaping and expanding the public plaza. The first proposal does not, though developers have argued that because their site is in a special Tax Increment Financing zone, increased property tax revenue would give the city enough funding to refurbish the square as they wish. No price tag has been disclosed for the 49-story tower, but to create enough tax revenue to rehabilitate Fountain Square the proposal would have to cost at least $100 million, city economic development planner Morris Robinson said.

View images of both Fountain Square proposals by clicking here.

Reach Peter Jackson at [email protected].