It may not look like much yet, but city officials say Focus Development is moving forward with its plans to construct a rental apartment building on the unfinished Sienna condo development site downtown.
Architect George Halik showing plans for the new rental building to a city panel last August.
Evanston’s Community and Economic Development Director, Steve Griffin, says fencing and caisson permits have been issued for the 174-unit building and that crews have begun work on the site on the southeast corner of Ridge Avenue and Clark Street.
Griffin says soil retention and foundation plans have been approved and permits will be issued subject to City Council approval for a temporary construction easement for work needed to be done within the Ridge Avenue right of way.
Site grading work was underway at the Sienna site today.
He says that will involve installing six tieback cables under Ridge to support a portion of the sheet metal piling around the construction site. A vote on that is scheduled for the March 26 City Council meeting.
Griffin says full building plans have been reviewed and revisions are being made by the architect for a second submission.
The Sienna project stalled — with only two of its originally planned four buildings completed — when the condo market collapsed, leading its developer, Tom Roszak, to file for bankruptcy protection.
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