A pair of developers have proposed building a mixed-use complex in downtown Evanston that would be the largest residential development in the suburb since the pandemic. A 27-story skyscraper with 358 apartments and nearly 3,000 square feet of retail space would replace a 70-foot section on the northernmost edge of Church Street Plaza, an existing mall at 1711 Maple Ave.
GW Properties acquired Church Street Plaza in 2021, and along with its partner, Chicago-based Luxury Living, submitted an initial zoning application to the city, but plans could change as they seek approvals from city officials, community residents and other stakeholders.
“We’re very much in the exploratory phase,” said Aaron Galvin, founder of Luxury Living. “We are embarking on a listening campaign.”
The city hasn’t seen a residential project on this scale in years, he added, even though demand is quite strong, especially for apartments in its already-dense downtown, where residents can quickly access stores, restaurants and other entertainment.
“Evanston is the perfect combination, a suburb with an urban feel,” Galvin said. “The community, in general, is saying we need new apartments.”
Church Street Plaza lost some retailers during the pandemic, but GW Properties brought in an AMC movie theater and a Sky Zone trampoline park, Galvin said. The center is now thriving, and adding hundreds of new units will give its shops an even bigger customer base.
“There is a symbiotic relationship between retail and residents. Both feed off each other,” he said.
Other north suburban developers are pursuing similar strategies, including Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, which in 2025 plans to break ground on hundreds of new homes at Skokie’s historic Westfield Old Orchard shopping mall. GW Properties and Luxury Living teamed up to complete earlier this year The Saint Grand, a 248-unit mixed-use development in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood.
Galvin said the new Church Street Plaza, designed by Antunovich Associates, will blend well with surrounding buildings, including the adjacent 1720 Maple Ave., a 28-story condo building completed in 2003. And although Evanston’s inclusionary housing ordinance requires developers to set aside 10% of new units as affordable, GW Properties and Luxury Living plan to exceed that benchmark.
The team has already held an exploratory meeting with a group of residents, and plans to organize more meetings in the coming months, Galvin added.
“A collaborative community listening campaign between developers and residents is essential to building trust and fostering transparency,” said Krissie Harris, 2nd Ward councilmember, in a prepared statement. “I look forward to hearing the community’s response to this redevelopment idea.”