Frequently Asked Questions

Impact on Schools

  • The project will generate significant economic benefits impacting the schools:

    • Current property taxes: $21,450

    • By 2031: $581,416 annually

    • By 2034: $1,248,649

    • By 2040: $2,725,513, making it one of Evanston’s largest taxpayers

    Expected students: 19 elementary, 9 high school. From 2026–2040:

    • District 65: $6.4 million in new revenue, with net positive after 2034 (+$1.8 million overall).

    • District 202: $3.67 million in new revenue.

    District 65, which has seen a 22.7% enrollment decline since 2017, benefits both from added students and additional net revenue. Students will attend Dewey and Nichols schools, respectively.

  • No. The project is expected to add only 19 elementary students and 9 high school students to Evanston's school system. That's a very small increase compared to the significant financial benefit the schools will receive.

  • The project would generate over $10 million in new property tax revenue for local schools over 15 years. District #65 (elementary) would receive $6.4 million, and District #202 (high school) would receive $3.7 million. This additional funding helps support educational programs and facilities for all students.

  • The unit mix is designed primarily for young professionals, empty nesters, and smaller households.

Impact on Evanston's Tax Base

  • The project will generate significant economic benefits:

    • Economic boost for downtown: hundreds of new residents will increase foot traffic for local shops and restaurants, many still recovering from the pandemic.

    • Revenue for schools and services: on a site that has been idle for 50 years, the project will generate more than $13 million in net new revenue over the next 15 years, reducing pressure on existing homeowners and strengthening the City budget.

    The property tax projections position 605 Davis to be one of Evanston’s largest taxpayers:

    • Current property taxes: $21,450

    • By 2031: $581,416 annually

    • By 2034: $1,248,649

    • By 2040: $2,725,513, making it one of Evanston’s largest taxpayers

  • While the project won't directly lower your tax bill, it helps share the cost of funding city services, schools, and infrastructure across more properties. This means the tax burden is spread among more taxpayers rather than concentrated on existing residents and properties.

  • The city would see a net positive impact of over $8.5 million during the 15-year study period. While the city would need to hire about 7 additional employees to serve new residents, the new tax revenue far exceeds these costs.

Impact on Downtown

  • While some graduate students may rent apartments, undergraduate students—who typically prefer purpose-built student housing—are not expected.

    The building’s demographics are anticipated to reflect downtown Evanston’s current mix:

    • College/Graduate age: 12.2%

    • 20s: 27.3%

    • 30s: 12.4%

    • 40s–50s: 14.6%

    • 65+: 22.1%

    • 75+: 10.8%

    The largest group downtown today is in their 20s and 30s, representing nearly 40% of residents.

  • Commercial office floors are typically 12–15 feet floor-to-floor, while residential floors are generally 9–11 feet. The proposed floor-to-floor height at 605 Davis is 9’-6”. Comparing story counts leads to inaccurate conclusions; height in feet is the more reliable metric. 

    Evanston has never had a requirement limiting building height to Orrington Plaza. In 2009, the Evanston City Council approved the 708 Church Street building at 430 feet, just down the street. That project would have included 218 condos, 271 parking spaces, LEED Silver certification, and a TIF-financed subsidy from the City; it was approved but never built.

    Since 1969, other tall buildings have risen in downtown Evanston, including Sherman Plaza (261 feet), One Rotary Center (219 feet), and the Park Evanston (236 feet). These buildings have added vitality to downtown with new residents, jobs, and retail/restaurant activity.

    The proposed 605 Davis building would be 22 feet taller than Orrington Plaza, located in the same central area where increased density and height have historically been deemed appropriate.

  • Evanston’s population peaked in 1970 at 79,808 and today stands at 76,552—down 4.1%. The city has not grown in over half a century. 605 Davis simply restores population that Evanston once supported.

    A Fiscal-Economic Impact Analysis projects the City’s cost of serving over 600 new residents at nearly $5 million over 15 years (2026–2040). But revenues from the project are expected to total $13.5 million, yielding a net gain of $8.5 million.

  • Evanston has never had a requirement limiting building height to Orrington Plaza. In 2009, the Evanston City Council approved the 708 Church Street building at 430 feet, just down the street. That project would have included 218 condos, 271 parking spaces, LEED Silver certification, and a TIF-financed subsidy from the City; it was approved but never built.

    Since 1969, other tall buildings have risen in downtown Evanston, including Sherman Plaza (261 feet), One Rotary Center (219 feet), and the Park Evanston (236 feet). These buildings have added vitality to downtown with new residents, jobs, and retail/restaurant activity.

    The proposed 605 Davis building would be 22 feet taller than Orrington Plaza, located in the same central area where increased density and height have historically been deemed appropriate.

Impact on Evanston
Businesses

  • New residents would spend an estimated $8.3 million annually at local businesses once the building is fully occupied. This includes everyday purchases like groceries, dining, and services.

  • Yes. Beyond the 900 construction jobs and 15+ permanent positions directly created by the project, the building will have 7-8 full time staff. Increased local spending indirectly creates additional jobs at existing businesses, while also attracting new businesses to the area.

  • The project includes approximately 2,900 square feet of retail space, which will house local businesses, adding to the dynamic downtown retail environment. Those businesses will also have full time and part time employees.

Impact on Parking and Congestion

  • Downtown Evanston has a large surplus of underutilized parking, both public and private. The two public garages nearest 605 Davis—Church/Chicago (600 spaces) and Sherman Avenue (1,583 spaces)—operate at just 29% occupancy at night and 56% during the day, leaving about 960 spaces vacant daily. Private garages nearby range from 33% to 76% occupancy.

    The project will include 40 on-site spaces and lease 153 public spaces from the City—a win-win. This arrangement uses existing infrastructure efficiently and generates about $211,140 annually in new lease revenue for the City.

    In addition, 137 bike spaces will be provided. The parking ratio reflects the downtown location, where many residents walk, bike, or use public transit. Only 36.7% of downtown residents drive to work; 21.8% work from home; 17.8% use transit; and many others walk or bike.

  • The parking ratio reflects the downtown location, where many residents walk, bike, or use public transit. Only 36.7% of downtown residents drive to work; 21.8% work from home; 17.8% use transit; and many others walk or bike.

    The Purple Line and Metra stations are steps away, making car ownership less necessary for many residents.

  • Current activity is minimal because the parcels are vacant. A more accurate comparison is when the property was a Chase Bank drive-thru, which generated:

    • AM peak: 31 in / 20 out = 51 total

    • PM peak: 79 in / 83 out = 162 total

    • Daily: 369 in / 369 out = 738 total

    We reduced on-site parking from 80 spaces to 40. Trip generation is primarily driven by land use (not parking supply), but this reduction will likely lower auto trips further; a conservative sensitivity suggests daily trips in the 400–540 range—well below the former bank drive-thru.

  • Delivery companies like Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and USPS are highly efficient—they consolidate packages for large residential buildings into a limited number of trips per day. For example, data provided by Greystar, one of the nation’s largest and most experienced multifamily operators, shows that at comparable properties with 250–400 units:

    • Total daily package volumes average between 135–146 packages.

    • Deliveries are typically limited to about 12–15 trips per day.

    • Of those, Amazon vans account for 7–10 deliveries, with other carriers like USPS, UPS, and FedEx visiting once or twice daily.

    This data underscores that even with hundreds of residents, deliveries are consolidated, not fragmented. Greystar’s experience is especially relevant because they manage thousands of communities nationwide and track this data across a wide range of building types. Their expertise demonstrates that package deliveries at 605 Davis will be well within normal operating expectations, without overwhelming traffic or curbside activity.

Affordable Housing

  • 84 units (20% of the total) will be designated as inclusionary housing, effectively doubling the City’s inclusionary housing since the program began.

  • The affordable units are designed to comply with Evanston's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, making them accessible to moderate-income residents including teachers, nurses, and other essential workers.

  • Evanston’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (IHO) was enacted in 2006, initially requiring 10% affordable units. In 2024, this was raised to 15% for projects with seven or more units. Despite incentives such as zoning bonuses, reduced parking requirements, and fee waivers, the IHO has produced approximately 85 new affordable units in nearly two decades.

    The Affordable Housing Special Assessment (AHSA)—passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Springfield and backed by Evanston’s legislators—enables projects to reach 20% affordable units. Using AHSA, 605 Davis will immediately double the number of affordable units compared to the IHO alone.

    Over 30 years, 605 Davis will pay nearly $67 million in property taxes—up from just $21,500 annually today. Without AHSA, the project would not be viable and property taxes over the same period would be under $2 million.

Construction Impact

  • We estimate a gradual occupancy timeline from 2027 to 2029, with the building reaching full occupancy by 2030.

  • The city will collect over $2.2 million in construction permits and fees, with most of this revenue coming in 2027 when major construction begins.

Environmental Impact

  • The building is designed as all-electric and meets Evanston's Healthy Building Ordinance and Illinois Stretch Energy Code for energy efficiency. This reduces the environmental footprint compared to traditional buildings.

  • 605 Davis Street will be a high-performance, sustainable building pursuing ambitious goals in energy efficiency, decarbonization, potable-water reduction, and healthy, efficient materials.

    The project’s high-efficiency, all-electric mechanical systems and high-performance envelope will maximize energy savings and comply with the Evanston Stretch Energy Code. That code requires compliance with ASHRAE 90.1-2022—raising performance beyond the 2019 version and delivering at least a 12% reduction in energy use and associated carbon emissions, with substantially greater reductions relative to ASHRAE 90.1-2010.

    As a high-rise, 605 Davis will meet more stringent energy and structural standards—more insulation, high-performance glazing, robust air-/weather-tight envelopes, and higher-strength concrete and steel—leading to three outcomes:

    1. Lower embodied carbon. Over a 75-year life, embodied carbon typically represents 5-20% of total carbon. Thoughtful material selection will reduce this share.

    2. Lower operational carbon. Operational energy drives 80-95% of total life-cycle carbon. A highly efficient envelope and all-electric systems will significantly reduce long-term emissions.

    3. Lower life-cycle costs. Durable materials will minimize maintenance and replacement over time.

    Overall, the building’s total carbon footprint will decline through these efficiency strategies, and eliminating on-site natural gas will further cut emissions and improve indoor air quality. These measures support Evanston’s Healthy Buildings Ordinance and position 605 Davis for a viable path to net-zero carbon by 2050.

    605 Davis advances the Envision Evanston 2045 Draft Comprehensive Plan, which calls for high-density, transit-oriented development. The project delivers a significant number of homes on just under ½ acre of infill land—within a half mile of schools, retail corridors, parks, and lakefront beaches—and less than a quarter mile from Metra and CTA stations. This location enables safe, convenient transit access and reduces transportation-related emissions.

    The project will target LEED Gold under LEED v5, the newest and most stringent USGBC rating system, in lieu of the industry-standard LEED v4. Among key updates, LEED v5 adopts ASHRAE 90.1-2019 (up from 90.1-2010), materially elevating energy-modeling performance thresholds. Beyond higher energy efficiency, 605 Davis will also pursue strategies in embodied-carbon reduction, electrification, resilience, and an equitable human experience.

  • No. RWDI’s wind study compares predicted conditions to today’s baseline and shows that the range of wind speeds at Fountain Square—and across the immediate downtown area—remains the same after the project. The analysis does show a moderate increase along portions of Davis Street and Chicago Avenue; however, those areas would still be comfortable for strolling more than 80% of the time—even in winter—which is appropriate for sidewalks. The study also indicates beneficial reductions along Chicago Avenue north of the site and to the northwest near Bright Horizons.

    Methodologically, the assessment uses RWDI’s North America–adapted pedestrian wind criteria, derived from Lawson but calibrated for local climate and expectations and adopted by several North American municipalities—making them appropriate for Evanston’s Great Lakes, continental conditions. Because no long-term wind dataset exists for Evanston, the study uses the high-quality O’Hare record, adjusted for Evanston’s terrain and land use, and then modeled over a detailed 3D representation of downtown. This industry-standard approach is the same method RWDI and other wind consultants use worldwide.

Long-term Benefits

  • Using standard economic analysis, the project's tax and fee revenue over 15 years has a net present value of $8.5 million to the community. This represents a significant return on investment for allowing the development.

  • The current vacant property generates only $21,450 annually in property taxes. By 2034, the project will generate nearly $2 million in new property tax revenue to support schools, parks, and city services, while providing housing and supporting local businesses.