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	Condo craze in Evanston The Chicago Sun Times 12/02/2000 Evanston, the leafy lakeside suburb just north of Chicago, has long been a draw for those seeking a little fresh air but who still need a fast commute to the city. "Evanston has a special feel about it," says resident and real estate agent Susan Tash. "No one can sell it to you; you have to buy into it on your own." A lot of people apparently are buying into it, and condo buildings are sprouting up near downtown to quench the demand. Home to Northwestern University, the city maintains a college-town feel, but with the addition of excellent restaurants, convenient transportation and idyllic views. A mix of longtime residents, students and young professionals escaping the crowded city, Evanston isn't short on variety. "[Evanston has] diversity in any way you can think of it - ethnic, age, profession," Tash says. And when you're finished marveling at the diversity, relax and enjoy all the city has to offer. The just-opened 18-screen movie theater offers 12 first-run screens and a six-screen art house. All the theaters have stadium seating, and the art house also offers a bistro and wine bar. For the book-and-coffee crowd, Borders and Barnes & Noble are a block apart, and just a block further is the main library, whose collection stands at around 400,000 books. Not to mention the proximity of the university and its manicured paths and lakefront. Evanston is imminently walkable. From just about any neighborhood, you can walk to the train, to pick up groceries for dinner or to a great restaurant. The condominiums that are springing up around the downtown area are built to take advantage of all this, and with the city requiring parking for new construction, condo owners can park their cars and forget about them until it's time for a road trip. Church Street Station Focus Development's 17-story CHurch Street Station at 1642 Maple St. will be in the middle of it all. With sales on the 105 units just beginning, many condos will have unobstructed views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. The building will be across the street from the new movie theaters and around the corner from the CTA and Metra stations. Planned amenities include a pool, sundeck and fitness room. The building will have everything from lofts to penthouses. Bases prices range from $172,000 for a 1-bedroom unit to $712,900 for the most expensive penthouse. A parking spot is included in the purchase price. 800 Davis Situated on the sunny, broad southeast corner of Davis and Sherman, Optima has received city approval to build a 13-story, 105-unit condominium building. It's a grand corner," says Eileen Sheehan, vice president of marketing for Optima. "This building will add a nice bit of life to the town center." The building on the southern edge of downtown will have landscaped terraces, a pool and athletic center, among other amenities. The first floor will be retail, the rest will be 1- to 3-bedroom condos, with base prices ranging from $170,000 for 1-bedroom units to $325,000 for 3-bedroom penthouses. Some units will have private entrances. Though sales haven't officially started yet, there is a priority waiting list for interested buyers. Chicago Avenue Place Just south of downtown, on Chicago Avenue near the Dempster-Chicago shopping area, Roszak ADC's Chicago Avenue Place will be the largest new construction condo development in the city. With plans for four stages (and the first one already half sold) the 157-unit low-rise building will have a pool and athletic center. "People are getting more for their money in Evanston," says developer Thomas Roszak. "You walk to the beach, you walk to restaurants, to the library. It's nice." The units include parking, and completion of the first phase of the $40 million project is expected by August 2001. Roszak/ADC also built the 1415 and 1421 Sherman Avenue condominiums about three blocks north of Chicago Avenue Place. Evanston Galleria Back in the heart of downtown, Winthrop Properties' Evanston Galleria is making the switch from rental apartments to condominiums. The building, a former Marshall Field's (the trademark clock still hangs on the southeast corner) offers 1- and 2- bedroom lofts ranging from $165,000 to $275,000 with parking spaces available for $24,000. The building is across from the Barnes & Noble, just above Panera Bread and across from a full-service Osco Drug. Two blocks west there's a Whole Foods Market, and if you get the urge for a new pair of jeans, there's a Gap next door. Balancing act But lest you think downtown Evanston has become the haven of chainstores, the city has managed to maintain a balance between small business and corporate stability. Sure, there's a Starbucks on Sherman Avenue (the main north-south street running through downtown), but across the street there's a locally owned Unicorn Cafe, with its own set of fiercely loyal customers. And along with the Gap, there's a locally owned women's clothier, Asinimali, that's doing just fine, as well. It seems that for every chain store, there's an independent merchant along-side -a good mix for dependability and variety. The turnover among downtown businesses has been high, but the city hopes bigger businesses (like the Sears planned for Sherman Avenue) will increase traffic for small businesses. One popular Evanston restaurant, Dave's Italian Kitchen, moved from Church and Maple to make room for redevelopment, but it found a more central spot at Church and Chicago without losing business - that much is obvious from the lines out the door every night of the week. No one likes to buy under pressure but the likelihood is that the new condos will go fast. One Evanston development, 515 Main, a new-construction building of 63 units at Chicago and Main, sold out in less than a month, before construction crews finished framing the third floor. "We never got a chance to do our grand opening," said Patrick Maloney, senior sales manager. According to the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois, there median purchase price for a home or condo in Evanston is $242,500, up from $206,500 at the same time last year. Still, it's cheaper (and some would argue, nicer) to buy in Evanston than in Chicago. Livable, affordable Evanston, like its North Shore neighbors, Wilmette and Winnetka, can be a tough market to get into. The outsize of Victorian homes along the lakefront have been out of reach for most beginning house-hunters for decades now, and even smaller houses are priced out of range for most first-time buyers. The southwest wand western sides of the city still have plenty of vintage properties available, but most of them (as with any hundred-year-old house) need work. Finding "move-in ready" housing hasn't been an easy task. The new condos, designed to fit into the cityscape, offer the amenities buyers want, are poised to make that task easier. Sales managers for the new developments say that there is no "typical" buyer, the only common quality is an affinity for a pleasant town by the lake. "[The buyers] reflect the population," 515 Main's Maholey says. There are young professionals, empty-nesters, small families - the gamut. So if you're ready to think about a diverse, quiet town with all the convenience of the city, but the charm of the lake, take a look at Evanston. "Evanston is just different," says Susan Tash. "The lake, the university - what a great life." Roszak/ADC 1415 Sherman Avenue Suite 101 Evanston, IL 60201 Main  847-425-7555 Sales  847-328-8200 Fax  847-425-7540 email inquiries: info@roszakadc.com copyright© 2003 Roszak/ADC. All rights reserved.