$4 Million Evanston Library Parking Lot Sale Moves Ahead

EVANSTON, IL — The City Council has approved a plan to sell the parking lot beside the Evanston Public Library for $4 million Monday by a vote of 7-2, but the final sale will require approval from two-thirds of council members at a future meeting. The vote introduced a contract to sell the 1714-1718 Chicago Avenue lot to a pair of developers who plan to build an 11-story office building (reduced from an initial 16-story and then a 14-story design.) Voting "no" on the proposal were 3rd Ward Ald. Melissa Wynne and 7th Ward Ald. Eleanor Revelle.

Developers say the proposed building would bring the city more than 500 jobs, almost $2 million in annual tax revenue and nearly $1 million in fees without the taxpayers having to pay anything. Evanston is currently trying to plug a multi-million dollar budget shortfall caused by overly rose revenue estimates.

In April, alderman rejected the plan but later reversed course in May. The parking lot sits between the library and beside the Frances Willard House, a national historic landmark, and registered historic places the Woman's Christian Temperance Union Administration Building and Woman's Club of Evanston. The leadership of the Women's Club's endorsed the project at the council meeting and said the group plans to work with developers to make sure their building isn't damaged. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Evanston — or your community. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Prior to Monday's vote, Mayor Steve Hagerty said there are already preliminary designs for the office building and said final design plans could come before the council in six to 12 months. But regardless of whether alderman approve the sale at their next meeting on Sept. 24, the project still must go through Evanston's planned development process, a process that could take additional six months before construction could get started, according to Evanston Now.

»WATCH: Sept. 11 Evanston City Council Meeting

_{Top photo: Renderings of 1714 Chicago Ave. Proposal | Courtesy Paul Janicki Architects}