Citgo Site Proposal In Works

Developers of the current Citgo gas station site at Crawford & Central reportedly will present their concept to Design Evanston on Thursday, March 27. DE is a group of architects who, among other things, are willing to meet with developers and give feedback before a development group makes a presentation to the City's Site Plan and Appearance Review Committee.

During the Central Street planning proceedings in the Plan Commission, counsel for a developer argued against extreme height-mass limitations at the far west end of the corridor -- one of the only anti-downzoning comments made during the process. City staff resisted CSNA's urging for a B1a-type limit at that intersection. Ultimately, a B1a zoning designation was adopted, but with B2-type limits, meaning that four stories could be built, assuming other requirements as to retail, front setbacks, floor area ratio, and parking were met.

In 2007, the city returned a zoning analysis of the project that rejected the proposal, since the site was at that time designated a "C" commercial district. I do not know at this writing whether the City will consider the imminent proposal to be a continuation of the previous proposal, and under the jurisdiction of the previous rules, or the first instance of a proposal arising under the new Central Street Master Plan zoning changes.

CSNA will try to stay abreast of this and urges anyone with information to post here or e-mail us.