It’s been a bunch of years since the City of Evanston had its own dock where canoeists or kayakers could put their craft into the North Shore Channel.
But plans are under way to change that.
On Tuesday night, the city showed off a bunch of concepts for a canoe/kayak launch, to be located at the Evanston Ecology Center on McCormick Boulevard at Bridge Street.
Residents were encouraged to ask questions and post suggestions and comments about how they’d like the final project to turn out.
“There’s quite a bit of demand” for such a facility, said Matt Poole, assistant director of parks and recreation.
The new dock and access ramp will also be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Poole said the previous dock near the Ecology Center had to be closed several years ago, because the stairs were unsafe.
Currently, the closest launch site is on Oakton Street in Skokie.
Maya Reed is an instructor at the Ecology Center. She said that it’s inconvenient to take children in a canoeing program over to Skokie, and also, “lugging a 60 pound canoe up the hill is not easy.”
The design firm has been hired. Next steps include the final design, fund-raising, and construction, with completion targeted for 2025.
One resident posted a sticky note saying that the price tag for the project ($2.4 million) seemed a bit steep.
But the vast majority of the money will be privately raised by the Evanston Environmental Association. The city is only kicking in a small amount for design, and will pay to re-do the parking lot.
Erika Doroghazi, an Environmental Association member, said, “I’m sure it will be a challenge” to raise the money.
But, she added, “I think it’s a great project.”