High-rise proposal for downtown Evanston could go condo

Image courtesy of Pappageorge Haymes Partners

Much like downtown Chicago, Evanston has entertained a number of recent rental proposals while the condominium market has been slow to recover. This week, a developer presented its plan to construct a 25-story tower at 1621 Chicago Avenue that could help reverse the trend.

Initially planned as rental apartments, Evanston Now reported that Jeff Michael of Horizon Realty Group said his firm is exploring the possibility of switching over to condos. If approved, it would be the first large scale condo project built in Evanston since the economic crash.

Known as “The Legacy,” the glassy project would replace a row of single story storefronts. It would rise next to The Merion senior living building—a structure that Horizon recently renovated at a cost of more than $40 million.

Designed by architect Pappageorge Haymes Partners, the proposed 216-foot tower would contain 215 units and 149 parking spaces screened behind street-facing residences on floors two through seven. The Legacy would also deliver nearly 3,700 square feet of ground floor commercial space.

A growing number of Evanston high-rise projects are currently in the works. Active plans include a 37-story mixed-use skyscraper at the 1700 block of Sherman Avenue, a 33-story apartment tower at 601 Davis Street, a 14-story office building at 1720 Chicago Avenue, a 16-story transit-oriented rental development at 1450 Sherman, and a 17-story age-restricted project at 1727 Oak Avenue.

• Developer: 1621 Chicago could be condos [Evanston Now]
• Evanston archives [Curbed Chicago]