Harley Clarke Mansion Seeks More Proposals

UPDATE: The Evanston City Council voted 7-2 Monday to consider issuing a request for proposals from other nonprofits who might be interested in operating the mansion.

According to the City of Evanston:

On Monday, June 26, 2017 the Evanston City Council reviewed and discussed the recommendation of the Harley Clarke Planning Committee to authorize the City Manager to negotiate a long-term lease agreement with Evanston Lakehouse & Gardens to operate an environmental education center and meeting/event space at the Harley Clarke property. The recommendation included continuing to reserve the $250,000 from the CIP budget allocated by the Council in September 2016 for improvements to the property.

The City Council voted to direct staff to draft a Request for Proposals (RFP) to allow any and all interested non-profit entities to submit proposals for the property. This RFP will on the agenda for approval at the July 10, 2017 City Council meeting. The packet of materials for that meeting will be posted herenext week.

Original story:

EVANSTON, IL — The Evanston City Council is set to vote Monday on a proposal authorizing the city manager to negotiate a lease agreement with a nonprofit group to turn the Harley Clarke mansion into a public space. The Harley Clarke Planning Committee, the Evanston Parks and Recreation Board and the Lighthouse Landing Complex Committee all support the plan to lease the city-owned historic lakefront property to the Evanston Lakehouse & Gardens, a 501(c)(3) group founded in 2015.

In a business plan released last week, the group said it will raise money from donations and grants to pay for the building's restoration, after which it would turn the site into an "experiential education center for environmental education and community gatherings." Those gatherings would also partially fund the site. The recommendation to be presented at this week's council meeting includes continuing to reserve $250,000 that had been allocated last year for improvements to the property.

Find the complete business plan below.

The June 26 Evanston City Council meeting will follow a Rules Committee meeting, which will convene after a Planning & Development Committee scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m.

Related:

• Opposition Mounts to Harley Clarke Mansion Sale
• Evanston Art Center Moves Out of Harley Clarke Mansion
• Harley Clarke's Ghost Doesn't Want to Share Mansion, Psychic Says
• Harley Clarke Mansion to Re-Open for Recreational Programs

Top photo via Patch file