City Negotiates With Strawdog Theatre Company on Howard Street Site

The city of Evanston will negotiate with Chicago-based Strawdog Theatre Company with hopes of coming to an agreement for a theater to open in the 700 block of Howard Street.

Negotiations will be on the plan and design of the theater - as well as the cost, according to the Evanston Review.

“We have established a relationship with this theater, we have vetted this theater, we have met with their board on numerous occasions,” Ann Rainey, 8th Ward Ald., said. “Their board is totally in support of moving forward with this, once the memorandum of understanding has been created. The share that we will each commit has not been determined.”

Although early plans are to pay for the project through tax increment funds and the theater’s capital campaign fundraising, concerns still exist given the fluid situation with the state of Illinois budget.

Evanston resident Junad Rizki called the proposal “ridiculous,” predicting it would cost the city in the millions and 9th Ward Ald. Brian Miller shared other concerns.

more via the Evanston Review