Not long after 7th Ward aldermanic candidate Parielle Davis took her seat at Sunday’s candidate forum, she addressed her opponent, Kerry Mundy, with a pointed question that would set the tone for the evening.
“When I asked why you signed the petition in favor of the commercialization of Ryan Field, you said that you did so because your neighbor told you to,” Davis told Mundy. “How often do you adopt others’ opinions instead of forming your own?”
And so the showdown began.
Evanston City Council and mayoral candidates participated in a candidate forum co-hosted by Where The People Meet TV and The Daily on Sunday. Around 200 community members stopped in throughout the forum to hear the debates for each ward ahead of the April 1 election.
Envision Evanston 2045, the city’s comprehensive plan and rezoning overhaul, dominated many conversations. The plan has been under fire since its official introduction in February 2024.
In a December letter to the Evanston RoundTable, Davis called Envision Evanston 2045 “a mercenary agenda cloaked in a progressive disguise.” Today, she — and others — echoed her sentiment.
“We’re interested in getting this done in record time, rather than necessarily doing the best job of it,” said mayoral challenger Jeff Boarini, who also jabbed at Mayor Daniel Biss’ leadership.
Many parts of Envision Evanston refer to issues of housing affordability. The zoning overhaul is designed to supplement affordable housing initiatives, in large part by increasing housing density.
The argument behind increasing housing density rests on the belief that the demand for housing in Evanston exceeds the current supply. Yet some candidates said Evanston’s push for housing density has displaced low-income residents.
“No house in my community sells for less than $300,000,” 5th Ward candidate Carlis Sutton said. “Calling that affordable housing? That’s an oxymoron.”
Biss refuted these concerns. He said that existing plans to boost housing density, coupled with the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, will create more affordable units throughout the city. An amended ordinance, which calls for housing developments to provide more units for low- and moderate-income households, is up for a vote at City Council’s Monday meeting.
Still, some candidates argued the zoning changes would fundamentally disrupt Evanston’s suburban feel. Some called for “transition spaces” between new high-rise developments and existing structures in future zoning considerations.
“The idea of a 100-foot-tall monolith backing up against my neighbors across the street is ridiculous,” said 3rd Ward candidate John Kennedy. “There’s no transition. There’s no sensitivity.”
Many candidates also scorned the city’s handling of the Ryan Field rebuild in 2023.
Mundy said the negotiation was conducted “heavy handedly” and that he hopes to create a relationship between the council and Northwestern based on mutual respect. Others viewed the negotiation in a more negative light.
“It was the biggest squandered opportunity in the last 100 years in Evanston,” Ald. Tom Suffredin (6th) said.
Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) outlined her plan to create a center for community partnerships between NU and local organizations, inspired by the Netter Center at the University of Pennsylvania. In discussion of creating a center for civic engagement, Kelly expressed strong support for strengthening her ward’s relationship with the University.
For many of the candidates, the Ryan Field community benefits pact ranked among the many perceived instances of a lack of transparency and public engagement.
Candidates cited decisions involving the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center relocation as another example. The resolution to authorize the lease to office space at 909 Davis St. initially came to City Council authorized by Biss. That meant it was not referred to the council by a committee.
“Residents were largely unaware of (this decision) and largely in disagreement,” said 4th Ward write-in candidate Margaret “Meg” Welch.
Residents also tied concerns over transparency to issues with gentrification and displacement. They referenced the city’s evacuation of the residential property at 2018 Wesley Ave. in May 2024 after an inspection labeled it as deteriorating.
Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) said he wants to make development plans transparent and public-facing. Burns is currently working on a project at a lot on Jackson Avenue and Emerson Street, he said, in which he will allow the community to work with urban architects to design a housing proposal that will be presented to developers.
Multiple candidates also raised concerns over the declining prosperity of small businesses in their respective commercial districts.
Third Ward candidate Gennifer Geer proposed a vacancy tax for retail storefronts that have been empty for two years, which she said would help combat the climbing rates of unoccupied space.
Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) said he wants to find ways to bring more people downtown.
“Encouraging residential development downtown is one very important thing we can do to bring back some vitality to our downtown,” Nieuwsma said.
The candidates’ various proposals and the high-level debates over Envision Evanston have combined to create a significant juncture for the city — even as their visions often diverged so sharply.
Biss, too, said the city stands at a “pivotal” moment.
“This room being full, especially at this moment, is a reminder of what I love about this town, of the incredible engagement and the passion that people feel for working together to make things better,” Biss said.
Clarification: This story has been updated to better reflect the number of residents who attended the forum throughout the evening.
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