Harley Clarke Meeting Monday 5/18 7:00 pm Civic Center, 2100 Ridge

On Monday, May 18 at 7 p.m.. the Harley Clarke Citizens’ Committee will host a workshop to hear from presenters about several options for the future of the property.
 
The workshop is open to all residents and will be held in the Parasol Room on the 4th floor of the Civic Center at 2100 Ridge Avenue.
 
The committee, appointed by the City to look at alternatives for the property once the Evanston Arts Center vacates in June, has been meeting for several months and has identified five options.
 
They include:

1. Renovating the building for City use (TBD).
2. Demolishing the building and redeveloping the site as parkland.
3. Selling the building and allowing it to be renovated for a commercial use, such as a hotel or event space.
4. Selling the building and allowing the site to be redeveloped under R1 (residential) zoning.
5. Selling or gifting the building to an organization that would renovate and preserve it for public cultural and/or educational use.
   

Speakers from the community have been identified to speak for ten minutes as to the merits of each option and attendees will participate in small group discussions to provide feedback on each option.

A survey will also be distributed so that each attendee can rank their preferred options.

The presenters are as follows (no presenter on the second option, but it will be discussed in small group sessions):

Sheila Sullivan – retaining and renovating the property for public use

Peter Green – selling for commercial development, such as a hotel or even space

Dave Mazurek – selling for residential development

Patrick Donnelly – selling or gifting the property to an organization (non profit) that would renovate and preserve the building for public use (cultural and/or educational)

CSNA urges residents to attend and voice their opinions and participate in this process.

CSNA has adopted resolutions supporting maintaining the property for public use by a governmental (Option #1) or other non-profit organization (Option #5). CSNA opposes commercial (private) development for non public use.

A resident initiated effort to support continued public use of Harley Clarke has begun.  We received the flyer below late this week.  You can click the flyer to visit their new website.