A proposed 333 foot-tall apartment building in downtown Evanston could replace Orrington Plaza to become the city’s tallest building. The proposed residential development on 605 Davis St. would be one of the tallest buildings in the Chicago suburbs.

Chicago-based co-developers Vermilion Development and Campbell Coyle said the property, which is situated on a vacant grass lot and a defunct Chase Bank drive-through, would draw foot-traffic to downtown businesses and raise property tax revenue.

“The first thing that it will do is (bring) more people to live in Evanston,” said Jonathan Perman, a spokesperson representing the development. “Evanston hasn’t grown at all in half a century.”

Yet, at community meetings, some residents have expressed concerns about the 31-story building’s height.

Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) told The Daily she was “deeply concerned” about the scale of the proposal, especially as the city is in the midst of developing a comprehensive plan that would outline a 20-year roadmap for the city’s future. 

Kelly added the “overwhelming majority” of feedback she’s received has been from community members opposed to the height and density of the proposed highrise. 

“Any project seeking such drastic or substantial variances to our current zoning should be deferred until we get this plan done and completed,” Kelly said. “I’m completely supportive of the development of our downtown, but I think it has to be guided by a clear community-driven vision.”

Still, Perman said these dissenting voices are limited to a small subsection of the population. 

Some residents, including Jean Cunningham, are excited about the proposal.

“I think something needs to be done with that location — it’s not usable,” Cunningham said. “I went to the input meeting, and I thought it was good that they were getting input from the community, and I liked the way the building looked.”

Cunningham added that she appreciated how the developers had considered pedestrians in their proposal. 

Downtown Evanston Executive Director Andy Vick, meanwhile, echoed Perman’s sentiments about increasing foot traffic in the area. He said there is a “direct correlation” between having more density and more people in the downtown area. 

“This property alone is not going to solve the need for more people on its own, but it’s part of the solution,” Vick said. “As we add more properties in a thoughtful way, hopefully we will get to a point where we have the critical mass of people that we need to support all the businesses that operate in our downtown.”

In addition to the population boost it might provide, Perman said the building would include around 90 affordable units. The project would almost double the number of new affordable units in Evanston since the expansion of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance in 2015, Perman added.

Affordable units would make up 20% of the development, while Evanston’s current IHO stipulates only 15%. This makes the development eligible for a significant property tax break under a state statute initially called Affordable Illinois, which incentivizes incorporating affordable units in housing developments within certain parts of Cook County.

Regardless, Perman said the development would still drastically increase the property tax revenue the city currently receives from the target lots. Kelly, on the other hand, said applying the state statute would essentially amount to a forfeiture on the part of the city.

“I think we could do much better to meet our housing and our fiscal goals without compromising the livability of our community,” Kelly said. 

This is the third project Vermillion has proposed for the lot. The firm previously suggested a 353-foot apartment building the Planning and Development Committee rejected in 2018. Two years later, it gained City Council approval for a 220-foot office tower that was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perman said this proposal would be different as the developer now controls the former Chase drive-in. 

“It’s a lot easier to do development over four parcels if all the owners are aligned on the same project,” Perman said. 

While Kelly maintains her concerns, she said she was “pleased” with the developer’s responsiveness to her suggestions.

The developers expect more feedback from the city in the coming weeks, Perman said. He expects the proposal to appear before the Land Use Commission in June, which will then hold public hearings and issue a recommendation to City Council. 

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