After a razor-thin vote at Evanston City Hall, a 29-story, 299-foot residential tower at 605 Davis Street is officially moving ahead, positioned to become the tallest building in the city. The fully electric project will hold about 419 apartments, including 84 set aside as affordable housing, and will replace a long-vacant lot and a former drive-thru bank near Chicago Avenue. Early site preparation is underway, and the developer is aiming to deliver units in early 2028.
Council Vote and What Changed
Following months of hearings and public comment, the City Council approved Ordinance 66-O-25 in a close 5-4 vote, clearing the way for a revised planned development at the downtown site. According to the City of Evanston minutes, councilmembers added conditions requiring community benefits, workforce-development commitments, and a beefed-up inclusionary-housing pledge in exchange for approval.
The Land Use Commission had previously recommended against an earlier 31-story version of the plan, prompting the development team to come back with a shorter tower and a reworked podium in an effort to win over skeptical officials.
What the Building Will Include
The tower’s upper floors are slated to hold roughly 419 units, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms. Of those, 84 apartments will be designated as affordable. Residents will have access to amenities such as a dog run, fitness center, and tenant lounges.
SCB is listed as the project’s architect, and the design was pared back from an initial 31-story, 330-foot proposal to the approved 29-story, 299-foot structure, as reported by Chicago YIMBY. The developer describes the building as all-electric and transit-oriented, pitched squarely at downtown Evanston living.
Parking, Taxes and the City’s Cut
Under the revised plan, on-site parking drops to 40 spaces, with most drivers expected to use 153 leased stalls in nearby public garages instead. The developer’s materials project that lease will generate about $211,140 a year in new revenue for the city while putting under-used garages to work. Those figures appear in the project’s own FAQ and related materials at 605davis.com.
The proposal also seeks a county affordable-housing special assessment that would phase in property taxes during the project’s early years. Opponents repeatedly warned that structure could delay larger tax receipts for schools and other taxing bodies, according to the City of Evanston minutes.
Timeline and Next Steps
With council approval locked in, early site work, including geotechnical testing and surveys, has begun. The development team is targeting move-ins in early 2028. That timeline, along with the immediate permitting steps, is outlined in project materials and local coverage from The Daily Northwestern.
Why the Debate Still Matters
Supporters argue that the tower will finally fill a prominent, long-vacant corner, bring hundreds of new residents to spend money downtown and significantly boost the production of inclusionary housing units in central Evanston. Critics counter that the building’s height and massing, along with the tax-phase-in structure, risk short-changing schools and reshaping the neighborhood’s character more than the city can afford.
That split played out over multiple planning hearings and the final council debate, as documented by Evanston Now. City officials say they plan to keep close tabs on affordable-housing placements, traffic patterns and the project’s fiscal impacts as it moves from permits to full construction.
