With the clock ticking before federal funding evaporates, Evanston’s Economic Development Committee will return to debates over street furniture Wednesday night.
Three weeks ago the committee had an extended discussion about trash can aesthetics and postponed action on all of the baker’s dozen of ideas before it.
This week it will face a very slightly revised price list — including a proposal to upgrade the quality of some Adirondack chairs proposed for use as outdoor furniture at Fountain Square and on Noyes Street.
The upgrade for Noyes raises the cost of that project from $2,500 to $10,500, according to staff memos.
Adding electrical service improvements to the kitchen upgrade project for the Arrington lagoon building boosts the cost of that plan from $84,500 to $100,000.
The five biggest ticket items on the list for how to spend roughly $2 million from federal American Recovery Plan Act funds before the Dec. 31 deadline to have all work contracted out include:
- $500,000 for the Theater/Civic Plaza adjacent to the Davis Street Metra station.
- $500,000 to establish “clear business district gateways” across the city.
- $200,000 for “placemaking equipment” to host events in various business districts (along with another $50,000 to provide electrical connections at event locations).
- $200,000 to improve the south end of the south plaza at Fountain Square — where dog urine has repeatedly destroyed the grass.
- $165,000 for new trash and recycling containers downtown.
Given the time needed to get contracts in place following city procurement rules, staff fears any further delay could lead to the clock running out for funding.
Once the committee makes its recommendations, the proposals will have to go to City Council for final approval.
But with six of the nine council members on the EDC, that should be relatively straight forward.
The EDC meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday in the City Council chambers at the Civic Center.
This looks like a lot of money wasted on putting lipstick on a piggy. Why in the world are we trying to operate our own food service in the park? Rotate different food trucks. It won’t require investment and would be a great litmus test for demand.
I just sent the following letter to the City regarding some thoughts on the NCAC’s HVAC Feasibility Study:
I just upgraded my 22,000 SF art center in Chicago, increasing usage from 40 studios to 100 studios. It cost me a little over $1.1M to increase the usage and bring it up to current code compliance, including a new roof with full insulation, tuckpointing, plumbing, heating, and new electrical service. Regarding full disclosure, I was on the Evanston Arts Council for a number of years, during which some of then NCAC upgrades were completed. My first thought for both my building and the NCAC related to the usage of the building. For 95% of the time the building is used by 10% of the tenants. I made a decision that air conditioning the entire building for such low usage is does not make energy-usage sense. Instead I maximized insulation of the roof and eliminated consideration of air conditioning. So, my maximum indoor heat without the insulation could be in the 90s. With the insulation it might hit 90 on a maximum day, but it’s only a couple of days a year and users can work around it. Also, my electrical bills are now a fraction of what they would have been with the air conditioning, possible 35% of the cost. Yes, I realize that the theater might have a need for special air handling. This could be done separately and used when needed. Again it would be an occasional cost. Also, at the time when I was on the council, the elevator was installed. We tried to get the City to extend it to the third floor for expansion of usable studio space. It would have been a fraction more to extend it up one floor. The core costs would have been the same. With more studios there would be more usage and more benefit to the community. Space is limited, but there are other issues that could be evaluated in a more holistic manner.
There are other issues that I haven’t addressed, such as tenant space usage, rental revenue, sharing more expensive / low-usage spaces with others in Evanston, and costs of City vs. Private Management.