The proposed 29-story development at 605 Davis St. stumbled across the finish line Monday evening, as City Council approved a special permit for the project in a 5-4 vote.
Earlier in its journey to approval, the building was reduced from 31 floors to 29. At the Monday night meeting, the council approved a flurry of amendments to the proposal befitting the heavy first snowfall of the season Monday morning.
Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) expressed strong support for the 605 Davis project before kicking off discussion of the amendments. The building will run on 100% electric energy, and 20% of its units will be considered affordable housing under the city’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.
“The 80-some affordable units that are proposed in this building are more than the number of inclusionary housing units that have been built in Evanston since our IHO was first introduced in 2007,” Nieuwsma said. “So we cannot pass up an opportunity like this to add that many affordable units.”
Much of the discussion centered around the community benefits offered by the development, which include public art, subsidized public transportation for 605 Davis residents and funding for city beautification projects.
An amendment introduced by Ald. Matt Rodgers (8th) tackled the language of a condition set by the Land Use Commission stating that the development would provide 50 unlimited ride passes for public transportation per month for tenants. The proposed alteration proved especially troublesome, sparking debate among councilmembers as they dug into the weeds of word choice. The amendment was eventually withdrawn.
“This whole thing is sloppy,” Ald. Tom Suffredin (6th) said. “But if you want to pass it on a 5-4 vote, pass it on a 5-4 vote. Be comfortable with that, and explain it.”
The only amendment that failed a vote was Nieuwsma’s proposal requiring the applicant, Vermilion, to donate $100,000 to repair city alleys and the fountain in Evanston’s Fountain Square — a contentious and divisive topic at recent City Council meetings. The proposal to expand the donation to include fixing the fountain failed 4-5.
Even after the amendments, some councilmembers remained unhappy with the state of the project. Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) attempted to delay the vote to no avail, citing disappointment in the project’s proposed community benefits.
“We are acting completely contrary to the interests of our residents, and the community benefits are just shoddy,” she said. “This is just embarrassing.”
Email: [email protected]
X: @rubywright0
Bluesky: @rubydowling.bsky.social
Related Stories:
— Cut down in size, 605 Davis secures introductory City Council approval
— 605 Davis high-rise proposal draws mixed community reaction
