The City Council’s Planning and Development Committee is scheduled to act tonight on revisions to a long-delayed project to redevelop the former site of the Evanston Theatre on Central Street.
The Eastwood was initially approved in 2007 as a four-story, 51 unit condominium development, but construction never got underway before the recession devastated the market for condos.
Developer Bob Horne of Dodge Capital LLC now is proposing to build 78 rental apartments instead on the site at 1700 Central, while staying within essentially the same footprint as previously approved for the project.
The project revisions won unanimous support from the city’s Site Plan and Appearance Review Committee last month.
At least one family living across the alley from the project has objected to the process being used to review the revisions, saying the changes should have been submitted to the Plan Commission before going to the City Council.
But Community and Economic Development Director Steve Griffin says that while even he found the city code provisions on the issue somewhat confusing when he recently took over the job, he’s been assured by the city’s legal staff that the process being followed is correct.
He also noted that the same process was followed recently for revisions to the Sienna planned development downtown that the City Council approved Sept. 12.
Related document
The Eastwood materials in City Council Packet