Economic Development

Economic development is designed to help retailers, small businesses and service providers in Evanston find the best neighborhood to establish their business, expand their presence and connect them to the local merchants' association. When our commercial and business districts thrive, we grow our tax base—lessening the tax burden on residents of the city. Our goal is to aid and retain current businesses, help them expand and then attract new business.

Continued growth on Howard

The transformation of Howard Street continues with successful small businesses and new affordable housing. A number of businesses have relocated to the street, making Howard Street a destination for residents and visitors to explore. Ann convinced the city to purchase seven vacant and or underutilized properties with the help of tax increment financing. As a member of the Economic Development Committee, Ann has worked with local entrepreneurs to secure funding to help them realize their vision.

The businesses on Howard that pioneered the transformation —Ward Eight and Peckish Pig—have now purchased their buildings from the city and have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in property taxes (increment), permit, inspection and license fees, liquor taxes. Ward Eight just celebrated its 8th anniversary and the Pig soon turns seven. They employ approximately 40 people. Ward Eight owners have lived in one of the apartments over the cocktail lounge, and the second two-bedroom unit in their building provides a great, affordable option. One of the Pig’s owners lives in a condo on Callan, and the rest of the family-owners live elsewhere in Evanston.

The Howard Street Theater with its resident company, the award-winning Theo Ubique, launched its inaugural season bringing live performances back to Howard Street. For two years Ann worked with members of the theater community and consultants to identify a theater company for the proposed space. Ann has championed the project and sees the completion of the redevelopment of the space by the noted Ross Barney Architects as more or less achieving the vision for the district.

Good to Go Jamaican Cuisine, owned by long time 8th Ward residents Tony and Lenice Levy, moved to the Evanston side from Chicago to realize their goal—purchasing and renovating their dream space, a beautiful contemporary restaurant. They also have an event venue with two huge bars and an expanded menu and signature drinks.  When COVID struck, Ann secured additional outdoor seating by removing parking spaces on Howard to create a parklet for diners.

Peckish Pig’s India Mussel-McKay. Deb Evans and Janek Evans are converting the former Sherwin-Williams building—half of which had sat empty for more than 15 years—into a hospitality and event space known as Palmhouse. With an open 6,500 s.f. floorplan, the space can accommodate up to 470 guests for sit-down dinners or 800 for cocktail receptions, making it the largest event space in Evanston.

Entrepreneur Malik Turley, another resident of the ward, relocated Hip Circle Empowerment Center, a vibrant studio designed to make health and wellness accessible to all women of all ages. The Center is a very special tenant and is located in one of the six buildings the city purchased from the Howard-Ridge Tax Increment Finance budget.

Neon Design moved from Wrigleyville to our new ideal permanent space on Evanston’s southern border, 519 Howard Street, one street away from Chicago. Neon Design is Chicagoland’s premier neon sign and architectural lighting studio since 1986. Master craftsmen and designers with decades of experience are ready to help customers.

Dr Van Pham moved from his Vision 20/20 location of 20 years on Broadway in Chicago to 525 Howard to join the revival. He has renovated his space and it is beautiful, and they have one of the best frame selections in the area.

Dr Anh-Tuan N. Truong purchased the long-vacant surgical center and has renovated into a beautiful same-day, state-of-the-art surgical center, Cosmetic Surgery Center of Chicago (815 Howard). He is affiliated with medical facilities AMITA Health Saint Joseph Hospital Chicago and Saint Francis Hospital.

The businesses along Howard serve the needs of the community and is a destination for those outside our neighborhood. With restaurants, bars and a cidery, hair salons and beauty suppliers, an auto parts store and gas stations, a convenience store, medical services, a bakery and a veterinarian, Howard Street is home to diverse, local businesses on the east and national retailers on the west.

And more is coming: Estación (633 Howard) will be opening when COVID mitigations are lifted. The owners of Libertad Restaurant in Skokie are working to bring all-day dining to Howard with their spicy, comfort food concept Estación in the old, city-owned police outpost. Owner Marcos Rivera is excited to open on Howard, which is where his father opened his first Las Palmas restaurant years ago.

Revitalization through TIFs

The use of Tax Increment Financing Districts (TIFs) has been instrumental in redeveloping Howard Street from the CTA tracks to the Skokie border. One of the city’s four active TIFs are located in the 8th Ward on the east end of Howard.

In the early 1990s, the Howard-Hartrey TIF District to help redevelop a blighted former brownfield site along the sanitation canal and create a huge tax generator for Evanston. The resulting shopping mall—Evanston Center—is home to large retailers like Target and Best Buy, and the Jewel-Osco has one of the largest Kosher food sections between here and New York.

This district also is home to the Autobarn Sales & Service Center, which occupies the former Shure manufacturing site which had sat empty for more than a decade. Ann actively resisted a proposal that would have removed the property to keep one of the city’s few I2 zoning districts available for the right project. Supporting this expansion allowed Evanston to assist its sole auto dealership and lessen the impact at its Chicago Avenue showrooms.

The creation of the Howard-Ridge TIF District has been extremely successful. The first major development was the construction of 415 Premier Apartments, a 17-story, 221-unit building which sits on land abutting the CTA railyard. The vacant lot sat unimproved for a century. The TIF provides property tax rebates which soon expire. The building, which has regularly maintained at 90%-plus occupancy, has sold multiple times and generated more than $580,000 in real estate transfer taxes.

With Ann’s leadership six properties were purchased on Howard Street for redevelopment, resulting in Ward Eight, Peckish Pig, Hip Circle Empowerment, Howard Street Theatre/Theo Ubique, and the construction of a new city surface parking lot. These properties have transformed from being small, underused storefronts to businesses which are frequented regularly by neighborhood residents.

Last year Ann proposed an expansion of the Howard-Ridge TIF to include several underutilized properties between Ridge and Ashland along Howard. This change to the TIF will free up funding for several existing businesses and attract new ones further west on Howard.

Issues: Constituent Services | Affordable Housing | Equity & Social Justice | City Finances