Ground was broken this afternoon for the first large-scale market-rate new housing development on Evanston’s west side in many years.
Pitching in at the groundbreaking are, from left, Developer Ron Fleckman; City Planner Morris Robinson, 1st Ward Alderman Cheryl Wollin, 2nd Ward Alderman Lionel Jean-Baptiste, Mayor Lorraine Morton, Developer Walter Kihm, 5th Ward Alderman Delores Holmes and Community Development Director James Wolinski.
The Church Street Village project will see 40 townhouses built by Cyrus Homes on the site of the former Hines Lumberyard at 1613 Church St.
Developer Ron Fleckman says 12 of the units have already been sold.
A scale model of the development arrived at the sales trailer on the project site just in time for the groundbreaking.
The announcement of plans for development of the Hines site sparked planning now underway by the city to rezone largely underutilized industrial property all along the former Mayfair railroad corridor for residential use.
The new development will feature energy-efficient geothermal heating systems and Mayor Morton shook hands with members of the Community Builders crew who will be working on that and other aspects of the project.
Prices for the two- and three-bedroom town homes, most with two-car garages, range from $367,500 to $480,500.