Evanston Lakehouse & Gardens Seeks Democracy, not Demolition

At the most recent City Council meeting, as Historic Preservation Month was drawing to a close, Evanston Lakehouse & Gardens and the Evanston community at large were shocked to hear a proposal for demolition of the landmarked Harley Clarke building by a group of neighbors who live in close proximity to the property.

“The people of Evanston will not stand for demolition,” said Tom Hodgman, ELHG Board President. “In fact, 67% of the community supported saving the building in 2015 during the Citizen’s Harley Clarke Committee that Steve Hagerty chaired before he was Mayor,” Demolishing the building received only 12% of the vote. The only idea less popular was for the City to sell the land for private residences.

According to the Historic Preservation of the City of Evanston Code of Ordinances, the City cannot simply demolish the building. They would need to apply for a certificate of appropriateness from the Evanston Preservation Commission. If denied, then the City would have to apply for certificate of economic hardship or a certificate of special merit from the Preservation Commission, which would require further public hearings.

“Evanston has a long history of being committed to preservation,” said Hodgman. “There is a formal process providing for protection of our historic and cultural resources which, in the case of Harley Clarke, has been formally recognized as a Local Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.”

“Until now there has been a very public process regarding next steps for the building. It would be inconsistent and seem to lack transparency if suddenly the process for demolition were fast-tracked,” said Emily Guthrie, ELHG Board Member, former Preservation Commission Board Member, and former 3rd Ward Alderman.

Indeed, there has been tremendous community support and activism since the proposal was considered for action at the next Council meeting on June 18th, and ELHG encourages interested Evanston residents to email their aldermen if they reject the idea of demolishing this landmarked building. An urgent fundraising appeal to stop demolition has also been initiated. For more information, or to make a donation, visit www.evanstonslakehouse.org

ABOUT EVANSTON LAKEHOUSE & GARDENS

Evanston Lakehouse & Gardens is a 501 c 3 non-profit comprised of a volunteer group of Evanston community members concerned with restoring the landmark Harley Clarke property for future generations of Evanston residents, while creating an economic engine for long-term financial sustainability. We understand that adaptive reuse and repurposing of Evanston’s historic Harley Clarke property and Jens Jensen gardens brings tremendous opportunity for exciting educational programs that leverage the incredible natural surroundings of Harley Clarke's unique landscape. ELHG’s mission is to preserve and restore Evanston’ only public lakefront estate by creating an inspiring community space that fosters appreciation of the environment, the arts, and cultural history. To learn more or make a contribution, visit www.evanstonlakehouse.org