Evanston officials announced Thursday that the city would move its operations out of the aging Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center by April 1 — and complete its long-awaited move into the newly christened Lorraine H. Morton City Hall downtown.
The phased relocation will begin Feb. 18 when the Collector’s Office will open on the first floor, which will be a Customer Service Center. Next, the Seniors Only DMV will relocate March 17 to the Levy Senior Center.
The following day, the new City Hall’s second floor will open to the public. This floor will be dedicated to City Administration and Public Services and include the Mayor’s Office, the City Council Chambers, the City Clerk office, Human Resources and Health and Human Services. City Council meetings will not be held in the new building until April 14.
The departments housed on the third floor will transition throughout March. These offices include the City Manager’s Office, Administrative Services, Community Development, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Economic Development and the Law Department.
Early voting for the upcoming municipal elections will still take place at 2100 Ridge Ave.
“We were able to maximize the construction while minimizing cost, but more importantly, get residents accustomed to the fact that we will not be here,” Deputy City Manager Carina E. Sánchez told The Daily. “We did not want to disappear overnight.”
The move arrives amid an ongoing debate over the future of the Civic Center, which the city says needs significant repairs for continued use, among other issues.
In January 2024, City Council voted to authorize City Manager Luke Stowe to lease the office space at 909 Davis St. for 15 years, with an option to exit after seven. The city received a $5.9 million allowance from the new building’s owners to renovate the soon-to-be City Hall.
The resolution initially came to City Council as a special order of business, authorized by Mayor Daniel Biss. This meant it was not referred to the council by a committee. At the time, residents criticized the abrupt nature with which the resolution came before City Council.
Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) was also a vocal opponent of the city’s decision to sign the lease, citing concern about a lack of transparency and public discussion.
“Daniel Biss mocked me,” Kelly previously told The Daily, saying the mayor assured her the city did not violate state transparency rules.
The state attorney general’s office ultimately dinged the city with an Open Meetings Act violation.
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Related Stories:
— City to move operations to 909 Davis St. in early 2025 following high construction costs
— Downtown lease sparks concerns over cost, transparency amid discussion on Civic Center’s future
— City Council approves 15-year lease to temporarily relocate city center
