Emerson developers see summer 2019 finish

Originally published in Evanston Now on April 16, 2018

Construction is getting underway for a nine-story building at 811 Emerson St. in Evanston, with the developers anticipating occupancy of the 241 units will begin in summer 2019 with pre-leasing to start this fall.

The project from CA Ventures and Focus Development is being promoted as transit-oriented housing -- near both CTA and Metra stations.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site Friday. The project went through a grueling, two-year city approval process as 831 Emerson, the address of a dry cleaners that formerly occupied the site.

“Evanston has always provided the perfect mix of urban and suburban life, making it especially attractive for residential development,” said JJ Smith, principal of CA Ventures. “811 Emerson will meet the growing demand for centrally located, near-transit housing that is highly amenitized yet attainable.”

811 Emerson will include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 400 to 1,100 square feet. Accessible by key fob, each residence will feature woodgrain-style flooring and modern kitchens with stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops. Apartments will also include in-unit laundry.

The building will have a 9,000-square-foot, south-facing courtyard with a resort-style pool, grilling stations and a fire pit on the second level. Wrapping the courtyard will be indoor amenities, including a social lounge/game room, business center with conference rooms, and an onsite fitness and wellness center with yoga and on-demand programming.

“Focus is thrilled to begin work on 811 Emerson, and especially proud to return to Evanston after completing several developments in the community including 1717 Ridge and Sherman Plaza,” said Focus CEO Tim Anderson. “Our experienced construction team is confident this new project will positively impact the neighborhood, energizing this part of downtown and bringing additional business to retailers in alignment with the goals of Evanston city officials in approving this project.”

A 3,300-square-foot ground-floor retail space along Emerson Street will be occupied by 7-Eleven, a previous occupant of the site, offering an added level of convenience for residents. The retailer has suspended operations and will move into the new space when the project is complete.

On-site parking, located on the lower, ground and mezzanine levels, will accommodate a total of 174 vehicles, with designated public and private spaces.

811 Emerson was designed for LEED Silver certification by bKL Architecture. Focus is also serving as the general contractor for the project.