City Council authorized the city manager to negotiate a lease with Celadon Holdings, LLC to renovate the Harley Clarke Mansion to create 10 hotel rooms and host weddings Monday night.
The historic mansion, situated adjacent to the Grosse Pointe Lighthouse and Lighthouse Beach at 2603 Sheridan Rd., has been vacant since the Evanston Art Center moved out in 2015. Celadon would invest roughly $29 million to renovate the building, which would reopen in 2026, according to the proposal.
“This proposal represents the most viable opportunity for a successful rehabilitation of the property in over a decade, showing the public and private interests in the property do not have to be mutually exclusive,” Evanston Preservation Planner Cade Sterling said.
Facing a threat of demolition, 80% of voters in a 2018 advisory referendum elected to preserve Harley Clarke for public use. From 2019 to 2023, the Artists Book House failed to raise enough money to renovate the mansion.
City Council considered two proposals at Monday’s meeting — one from Celadon to build a hotel and event venue, and one from Evanston Community Lakehouse and Gardens to establish an event venue, a cafe, museum spaces and art galleries.
City Council rejected a separate proposal to establish a hotel at the mansion in 2013.
Several residents at public comment expressed concern that Celadon’s proposal could limit public access to the mansion by hosting up to two weddings per week at the venue.
Several public commenters also noted that the proposal was raised as a special order of business, which they said gave less time for community feedback.
“This is insidious,” Evanston Reparations Committee member Carlis Sutton said during public comment. “Consider our concerns from the past, and please do not do anything that will make any kind of arrangement that would limit access to Harley Clarke.”
Sutton said he wants the city to establish free, public access to the mansion so low-income residents can visit the lakefront.
During public comment, several community members, including 2nd Ward resident Ray Friedman, alleged a broader lack of transparency in the city government, demonstrated by the frequent use of special orders of business, which allow measures to bypass committee discussion before going to a vote.
The city was found in violation of the Open Meetings Act in March after City Council approved an agreement with a real estate developer to represent the city in its search for a temporary location for the civic center in a closed session.
Mayor Daniel Biss said similar proposals have previously been presented as special orders of business, and that councilmembers will have time to provide input directly to City Manager Luke Stowe during lease negotiations.
“This would be far better had this not been presented in a (special order of business),” Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) said. “Ramrodding this through again, Mayor Biss, as you’ve done with other other proposals.”
Before the authorization passed in a 6-0 vote, Kelly said City Council should table the proposal until its Oct. 28 meeting to give councilmembers adequate time to collect feedback from their constituents. She added that weddings and commercial activity will restrict some public access to the mansion.
Celadon would lease Harley Clarke from the city for $1 per year for 99 years, according to its proposal. The privatization of the mansion could generate roughly $1 million per year in revenue for the city over the next few years, Ald. Juan Geracaris (9th) said.
Jens Jensen Gardens, the landscaper which manages the grounds outside the mansion, endorses the Celadon proposal.
“I’ve been engaged with members of Lake House and Gardens since my first year on the council, back in 2016,” Ald. Eleanor Revelle (7th) said. “There is much to admire in their proposal. That said, I believe that the proposal from Celadon, a successful historic preservation developer with a demonstrated track record of successful rehabilitation and adaptive reuse projects, stands the greater chance of success.”
By choosing to partner with Celadon, the city hopes to increase revenue while ensuring continued public access to the historic mansion, Sterling said.
Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) said he is excited about the prospect of developing the mansion after a long period of vacancy with several failed attempts at rehabilitation.
“I am cautiously optimistic that we are starting the last chapter of this journey,” Nieuwsma said.
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