A residential street in Evanston. Photo: Eric Fredericks from Rancho Cordova, CA, United States / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
The City of Evanston opened a search in April 2015 for developers interested in reusing its former recycling center at 2222 Oakton St. A request for qualifications, issued early in the month, set a deadline of May 15 for responses.
The property
The city-owned site covers slightly less than an acre, about 39,000 square feet, and includes a 13,000-square-foot building. The building once housed Evanston’s recycling center and, at the time of the request, was used to store city equipment.
What the city wanted
The solicitation asked for a “destination-oriented” use with dining and entertainment, according to a notice the city submitted to Patch.
The request was the first stage of a two-step process. A January 2015 city resolution had authorized an RFQ for developers followed by a request for proposals from those that qualified. Under that approach, the city would first judge developers on experience and qualifications and then invite a smaller group to submit detailed project plans. The full RFQ was posted on the city’s website.
How the process works
A request for qualifications asks developers to describe their experience, finances and past projects rather than a specific design. The city uses the responses to decide who is capable of the job, then asks only those firms for a request for proposals with concrete plans, pricing and timelines. For a property the size of the Oakton site, that order lets the city screen out weak candidates before anyone spends money on drawings.
Interest before the RFQ
Interest in the building predated the solicitation. Patch reported on Feb. 2, 2015, citing the Chicago Tribune, that significant interest had been shown in reusing the site, that the city’s economic development panel had approved seeking a new use, and that some proposals paired dining with entertainment. A coalition of local sports groups was the latest to express interest. The building had been closed for years.
Responses to the RFQ were due May 15, and the qualification round would determine who, if anyone, moved on to the proposal stage.
Based on the City of Evanston’s notice as published by Patch on April 3, 2015, a Feb. 2, 2015 Patch report, and the city’s January 2015 resolution.
Margaret Whitfield is the editor of The Evanston Edge and covers local government, development and neighborhoods.
