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The City of Evanston has engaged a consulting team led by former Mayor and U.S. Congressman Ben McAdams to develop strategies for repurposing three underutilized public assets: the Police and Fire Headquarters, the Civic Center, and the Noyes Cultural Arts Center. The team brings experience in community engagement, urban planning, and asset development, with notable past projects including downtown revitalizations in New Rochelle and Salt Lake City that generated significant mixed-use and mixed-income housing development. The consultants plan to explore innovative redevelopment concepts for each asset that align with community needs while potentially modernizing services and expanding cultural and residential opportunities.
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Putting Assets to Work: Team Introduction We are honored to have been selected as your Putting Assets to Work consultants for the City of Evanston. Our multifaceted team brings unparalleled experience in community engagement, development, urban planning, finance, architecture, design, and communications to transform underutilized public assets into community-enhancing developments. -- 1 of 7 -- Our Team: Principals and Principles Leadership Team BEN MCADAMS has successfully put public assets to work as Mayor, County Executive, and U.S. Congressman. He pioneered a national movement helping municipalities leverage their assets to better serve their residents. SEAN MCLEAN & RYAN PORTER transformed several downtowns including helping establish their priorities, rewriting zoning codes, and turning them into engines of economic growth4producing double the expected public benefits for residents. MICHAEL MCLEAN has built status quo-changing developments in Evanston such as Trulee Evanston, shaping local policy, and creating dozens of local jobs. Supporting Experts ALEXANDRA STIEGLITZ brings deep expertise in technology, finance, and entrepreneurship, having co-founded and led Pluma, an enterprise software company later acquired by Skillsoft (NYSE: SKIL). This is a team of principals and principles. We do the work, we see it through, and we produce results. -- 2 of 7 -- Our Relevant Experience New Rochelle Transformation The MPact team formed a joint venture with RXR Realty as master developer to partner with the City of New Rochelle to revitalize downtown New Rochelle including underutilized municipal land, unlocking 13+ million square feet of development. The Grove - Salt Lake City Conversion of the Salt Lake City Public Safety Headquarters into a Transit-Oriented Mixed-Use Community with 244 mixed-income housing units, including deeply affordable options for families earning 203150% AMI. Evanston Projects Michael McLean has managed over $100 million of development projects in the City of Evanston from concept through construction, including Trulee Senior Living and 1590 Elmwood "Centrum Evanston." -- 3 of 7 -- Three Primary Assets for Community Redevelopment Police and Fire Headquarters We will explore innovative community-based redevelopment ideas for the existing Police and Fire Headquarters, envisioning new uses that align with Evanston's evolving needs while potentially modernizing essential services. The Civic Center The former Civic Center offers a unique opportunity for revitalization. We will develop concepts that transform this underutilized space into a dynamic hub for public amenities, residential units, or mixed-use development, honoring its historical significance. The Noyes Cultural Arts Center Our focus for the Noyes Cultural Arts Center will be on enhancing its role as a vibrant community asset. We aim to create strategies that expand its cultural offerings, improve accessibility, and foster a thriving creative environment for all residents. -- 4 of 7 -- Our Community Engagement Process Crowdsourced Place Making (CSPM) We will perform robust public engagement both through our proprietary Crowd Sourced Place Making process, which utilizes online and in person engagement to foster public consensus in the most thorough ways possible. We will educate the public in an empowering way; one that gives them tools, knowledge, and confidence in their ability to engage in this important work. 01 Define Principles The CSPM process is guided by the principles of Social, Environmental, and Economic responsibility. To ensure adherence to these principles, members must sign a "Triple Bottom Line" agreement before participating in the process. 02 Seed the Process Traditional, in-person grassroots outreach and meetings with key stakeholders and civic leaders take place prior to launching the formal, public Social Networking Campaign. 03 Launch Social Networking Website We launch a social networking website as an informational resource to accept member registrations and ideas and engage local business leaders and entrepreneurs throughout the process. 04 Launch Campaigns Campaigns lie at the heart of CSPM activities, allowing residents and entrepreneurs to collaborate and build a critical mass of support for their ideas that help refine the vision while identifying potential market drivers. -- 5 of 7 -- Project Schedule and Timeline Major Project Phases 1 Initial Discovery (July 2025 - March 2026) Elected official meetings quarterly at City Council, Key stakeholder mapping, Attend Ward Meetings, Federal, County, State and Transit authority funding meetings, Gather as builts and technical information for sites/buildings, Conduct regular weekly progress updates with city staff 2 Police and Fire Relocation (July 2025 - June 2026) Conduct existing asset site visit, Review existing asset conditions, Conduct tour of 1801 Maple, Review AECOM and analyze space needs and conceptual plans, Meet with Police and Fire for initial idea confirmation and functional and operational flow analysis 3 Public Engagement - CSPM Process (August 2025 - May 2026) Initial meetings with community stakeholders, Attend Ward and other Civic Meetings, Host office hours at local community centers, Launch Crowdsourcing Campaign Website and garner initial use ideas for repositioning the civic center and police and fire headquarters and enhancing Noyes 4 Recommended Action Plan (September 2026) Produce Historical Planning Efforts Analysis Chapter, Community Engagement CSPM Summary Chapter, Market Studies and Concept Plans, Financial Underwriting and Present and Garner Approval for RAP The goal is to complete the Recommended Action Plan (RAP) by Fall 2026. Ultimately this RAP will synthesize the process and recommend concrete use of these assets with the goal of both meeting community needs and creating economic value and positive revenue for the City. -- 6 of 7 -- Our Website and Next Steps Digital Engagement Platform We will launch a comprehensive CSPM campaign website to collect public use ideas, review feedback and analysis with key stakeholders, and facilitate ongoing planning engagement processes. This digital platform will complement our in-person community meetings and ensure broad participation across all demographics. The website will serve as a central hub for: Community input and idea submission Project updates and progress reports Meeting schedules and announcements Educational materials about development options Voting and feedback mechanisms Moving Forward Together We are committed to a transparent, inclusive process that empowers the Evanston community to shape the future of their public assets. Our approach is grounded in equity, transparency, and sustainability, ensuring that public assets serve public purposes while unlocking economic value to reinvest in the community. Ready to begin this transformative journey with the City of Evanston -- 7 of 7 --
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