Proposed 31-Story Tower On Davis Street Could Become Tallest In Evanston

EVANSTON, IL — A downtown Evanston property containing drive-thru ATMs that has long been eyed for redevelopment could eventually become the city's tallest building.

Chicago-based developer Vermilion Development floated a proposal last month for a 31-story apartment tower that, if approved at 330 feet, would surpass the city’s tallest existing structures: the 277-foot Orrington Plaza and the 276-foot Sherman Plaza.

The proposed tower would include 447 residential units, up to 20 percent of which would be designated as affordable housing for residents with an income of 60 percent or less of the area median, Vermilion Managing Director Kerry Dickson told Evanston Now, which first reported the developer's $2 million purchase of the property.

The proposal represents Vermilion’s latest attempt to develop the site after multiple earlier plans failed. In 2017, the City Council rejected a proposed 33-story residential tower amid complaints over its height and parking. A 232-foot office tower was approved in 2020 but never materialized due to market shifts exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dickson claimed the developer is “not trying to build the tallest building in Evanston,” though that is what it has proposed, suggesting that it would look similar to other nearby buildings from the ground.

"What really matters is how the proposal feels from the ground," he told the Evanston RoundTable. "When you’re on Davis Street, what matters is what’s on the ground.”

The 605 Davis St. project is under zoning analysis and will require approval from the Evanston City Council. Under the city’s current zoning, the proposed height exceeds current limits for the area.

But a new zoning code being drafted as part of the "Envision Evanston 2045" plan, which aims to address housing affordability while encouraging density and development, would allow buildings taller than 150 feet in the downtown D3 district.

The revised zoning standards also introduce stricter requirements for affordable housing and environmental sustainability, although Vermilion’s proposal appears to meet or surpass the new threshold.

The developer has proposed including about 80 parking spaces across two floors within the building, with additional parking available in city garages.

In interviews, Dickson acknowledged that plans could evolve following community input during an open house-style meeting expected later this month.

Vermilion’s proposal is one of several high-rise developments in downtown Evanston. A separate plan by GW Properties and Luxury Living aims to build a 27-story tower at Church Street Plaza, while the City Council recently approved The Legacy, a 12-story, 110-unit project at 1621 Chicago Ave.