After over a year operating out of temporary quarters, Evanston Animal Shelter moved back to its original building at 2310 Oakton St. Wednesday, according to a city press release.
The new shelter, owned by the city and operated by the Evanston Animal Shelter Association, is the city’s first zero on-site carbon emissions municipal building and will be LEED certified. It also includes isolation areas for sick animals, outdoor dog runs and a medical suite.
“This new facility will finally give our animals the space they deserve, while allowing us to expand our community programs, including volunteer opportunities and education initiatives,” Executive Director of EAS Vicky Pasenko said at the grand opening. “We’re excited for what this means for Evanston’s future.”
While the facility was under construction during the past year, the animal shelter operated out of 2222 Oakton. With a $2.85 million grant from Cook County Animal and Rabies Control, the total construction cost included contributions from the city and EAS to reach $7.2 million, an increase from its expected $6.3 million budget, according to city press releases.
To make the building carbon-zero, the new shelter will have all-electric mechanical systems, according to a Public Works Agency newsletter from May 2023. The “on-site” designation means that all the electricity is coming from a renewable source from the purchase of RECs, or, renewable energy credits, Cara Pratt, the city’s Sustainability and Resilience Manager, told The Daily.
The Municipal Operations Zero Emissions Strategy, a partnership with environmental nonprofit Elevate, the city and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, is currently trying to achieve carbon neutrality for municipal operations by 2035, as mentioned in the Climate Action and Resilience Plan. Pratt said that it’s “cheaper” to build a zero-carbon municipal building like the shelter now than retrofit later.
“This is a demonstration of what we can do when we commit to our Sustainability and Climate Goals as a city, putting those at the front of our priority list because climate action cannot wait,” Mayor Daniel Biss said at the event.
EAS and the city have been partnered for over eight years to provide a no-kill, open admission shelter to the community. The moving process started in 2020, which included a Public Works Agency finding that the original building cannot be brought up to standard without a significant investment and increase in size.
Grand opening speakers, who ranged from county commissioners and city officials to State Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), emphasized the collaboration involved to create the 8,800-square-foot shelter, which brought together Cook County, the city and EAS. The opening concluded with a “dog-treat breaking,” as opposed to a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony.
“While this is in Evanston, this is a resource and asset for all of Cook County,” County Board Commissioner (13th) Josina Morita said. “We’re excited to be part of a much broader community and infrastructure, supporting animals.”
The new shelter will have an open house this Sunday, Oct. 6 from 1-4 p.m.
Isaiah Steinberg contributed reporting.
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