Evanston City Council voted during the June 26 meeting to put on hold the subdivision and sale of an empty city-owned lot at the corner of Church Street and Darrow Avenue to create a 33-unit affordable housing complex and relocate Mt. Pisgah Ministry. The Council also voted to approve funding to be given to developers on the project.
The project, first unveiled to residents in January, would see a new church built at the corner of Church and Darrow with the housing complex taking the spot where Mt. Pisgah sits now.
Councilmember Clare Kelly was the driving force behind the hold and said she hopes to complete discussions of security and other issues at 319 Dempster, a separate property owned by the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation, the developer and manager of the proposed housing complex.
A meeting between residents, HODC, nonprofit agency Connections for the Homeless and the city was held earlier this month to outline the needs of all parties. Kelly said she was encouraged by the meeting.
“I think we’re now really finally getting close to getting to a really good place and some permanent improvements,” Kelly said. “There was some commitment but the proposals were still somewhat vague.”
Kelly is pushing for a continuous security presence for three months at 319 Dempster to break the cycle of drug dealing with a future plan for security to continue indefinitely. She proposed eight to 10 hours a day for six months to a year with a chance to revisit it at a later date.
Bobby Burns, alderperson of the 5th Ward, where the development is planned, supported the hold despite saying a majority of the issues in the building are being caused by a single tenant who is due to be evicted on July 10.
“There are fundamental differences between Richard (HODC CEO Richard Koenig) and Councilmember Kelly about how long security needs to be there,” Burns said. “What are you going to do to convince all of us this is worth continuing to invest in?”
Burns took issue with the length of time Kelly wants 24/7 security at the property saying since HODC is a nonprofit and increased security measures should be paid for by the city. He acknowledged security should have been brought to the property sooner to deal with the issues caused by the tenant but said HODC should be able to bring in reinforcements as needed.
Kelly said the building has been a hub of illegal drug dealing for years and issues couldn’t be put down to one tenant.
About $4 million in funding for the project was also on the table June 26. The council, with the exception of Kelly, voted to approve the money be taken from several funds including West Evanston TIF funding, American Rescue Plan Act funds, the city’s Affordable Housing Fund and HOME funds from the federal government.
Councilmember Devon Reid opposed holding the items and questioned why the council would vote in favor of holding the issues while also giving taxpayer funding for the project.
“If we do think that HODC is that bad, and there is evidence to support it, we shouldn’t be giving them money,” Reid said. “Short of that and absent that I think it’s inappropriate to hold hostage this funding and this project for something that is not related.”
The plan has also received push back from 5th Ward residents who say they support affordable housing but feel the city places a majority of its affordable housing units in their ward.
A neighbor of 319 Dempster, Jeffrey Bushor, spoke at the June 12 and 26 meetings in support of the hold and told the council he and other neighbors have been working with HODC and the city for two years to improve the building.
“By trading the land, Evanston is giving HODC the land for free in addition to more taxpayers’ money,” said 5th Ward resident and opponent of the project Xiomara Chambers.
Residents have said they would prefer to have the space, one of the few commercial lots left in the ward, to be used for a commercial venture they can be proud of. Plans for the apartment complex do have retail included on the first floor but no details as to what will fill the space have been made available.
Another issue brought forward is the viability of the vacant lot, which was previously a gas station, and the potential for contamination if built upon. Community Development Director Sarah Flax read aloud from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s findings on the site during the June 12 meeting, which determined the remediation put in place would allow the site to be used for residential, commercial or industrial construction.
Burns said that much of what has been said in meetings about the project during public comment has been inaccurate and anyone with questions could come to him or city staff for answers.
The subdivision and sale of the lot will be included in the agenda for the July 10 meeting.
“I would like to support this project. I know I’ve had concerns … but all that aside, this is it for me,” Kelly said. “I need to see protections in place for the tenants there.”