Well back in the 80's there were NO bars, and you could only buy alcohol with food at 3 locations, the Holiday Inn, Poly Kai (sp ?) and The Keg.
right, i have fond memories of going to evanston restaurants in the 80s with my parents who would always bring a bottle of wine because they were all BYO's back then.
but those anachronistic rules haven't been in play in evanston for decades.
still scratching my head over glowrock's "extremely religious" comment.
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right, i have fond memories of going to evanston restaurants in the 80s with my parents who would always bring a bottle of wine because they were all BYO's back then.
but those anachronistic rules haven't been in play in evanston for decades.
still scratching my head over glowrock's "extremely religious" comment.
I still love how you didn't see the "is/WAS" part of my comment, Steely.
Aaron (Glowrock)
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"Deeply corrupt but still semi-functional - it's the Chicago way." -- Barrelfish
I still love how you didn't see the "is/WAS" part of my comment, Steely.
Aaron (Glowrock)
oh, i saw it, i was just confused why you would use the present tense when speaking of evanston being an "extremely religious" place.
if you were strictly talking about the past then you should have stuck to the past tense. when you said "was/is still extremely religious", i read it as you saying that evanston is still an extremely religious place today, which it most definitely is not.
__________________ "Missing middle" housing can be a great middle ground for many middle class families.
Last edited by Steely Dan; Aug 15, 2019 at 6:24 PM.
So I went to a community meeting at the Evanston Public Library where Vermilion/SCB presented their planned office tower for Chicago/Davis, and the folks from Northlight Theater also presented their plans for a new theater building at Church/Oak.
In terms of parking at the office tower, they're only planning a single parking floor with ~40 spots, with the possibility of converting the floor to office/other usage should that become programmatically needed down the road. This is apparently becoming much more common as parking demand, especially in TOD zones, is dropping dramatically.
For the "required" drive through, they've kept the footprint inside of the structure, with the possibility of eliminating this down the road and returning the "cut-through" to the lobby/retail portion of the first floor. Drive through ATM's won't be a thing for too much longer seems to be the general consensus.
Public comments were mixed, with a bit of NIMBY bullshit about increased traffic and parking and the like (no "wind-tunnel" comments this round). But there were a number of voices, including my own, voicing support for increases to the tax base, downtown density, and to the number of transit/bike-friendly workplaces. My hunch is the Council will support this one, assuming the market holds up that long (especially after the Library Parking Lot debacle).
This tower also has a much better chance the the transitional/retirement expansion on the east side of Chicago Ave, which will face intense opposition from nearby residents over concerns over alley access, disrupted views, shadows, etc. I would be surprised if that one was approved as a Planned Development.
Everyone loved the Northlight proposal (except one lady asked if the new building would block the view out her third floor window). The new theater is basically the same size as the existing structures on Church Street that it is replacing. This is such a weird town.
^ The design might be pretty meh, but a hotel with street fronting ground floor retail is not something you see everyday in suburbia.
And thanks for the report from the Evanston meeting, aaronrosen.
Ive been in Boston for the past 2 or so weeks. That building describes much of Boston's new construction but it is pleasing from a pedestrian perspective which in the end is more important than something like One Halsted which is more impressive from a distance and more architecturally stunning by far but as a pedestrian experience it's terrible in my opinion.
And perhaps most importantly, it will provide amenities for the science park workers & visitors which will hopefully drive more companies to open / expand there.
That Homewood has an excellent location. There are not many offerings in the area. Its either Old Orchard or downtown Evanston if you're looking for a new, nicer amenity hotel. I predict it will be busy.
I just drove around Oak Park for the first time in about 5-6 years.
Amazing how much some of the new highrises have transformed the feel of the downtown. It's beginning to feel more and more Evanston-esque, although it still has a long ways to go.
On that same trip I made my first visit to downtown Elmhurst. Lots of modern new infill there as well, and it was absolutely teeming with life (on a summer Friday evening, of course, but still..)
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I just drove around Oak Park for the first time in about 5-6 years.
Amazing how much some of the new highrises have transformed the feel of the downtown. It's beginning to feel more and more Evanston-esque, although it still has a long ways to go.
On that same trip I made my first visit to downtown Elmhurst. Lots of modern new infill there as well, and it was absolutely teeming with life (on a summer Friday evening, of course, but still..)
No doubt, downtown Elmhurst is great!
Aaron (Glowrock)
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"Deeply corrupt but still semi-functional - it's the Chicago way." -- Barrelfish
Downtown Elmhurst is helped a lot by having Elmhurst college right there, to boost the retail and entertainment businesses. There isn't much vacant land left, so it will always be small by comparison. But the new projects are giving a nice density boost.
I had no idea this actually got off the ground. It's great to see it so far in the construction process, and so close to the renderings (from what I can recall).
I had no idea this actually got off the ground. It's great to see it so far in the construction process, and so close to the renderings (from what I can recall).
It has a huge impact on that area. Creats a mini canyon opposite the Holiday Inn. Its a big building and pushes the DT Evanston skyline south.
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I was making reference to historical Evanston more than current Evanston, to be fair.
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