New nine-story transit-oriented development breaks ground in Evanston

Chicago-based developers CA Ventures and Focus recently celebrated the groundbreaking of 811 Emerson, a nine-story, 241-unit transit-oriented development at 811 Emerson Street in Evanston, Illinois. Offering proximity to Northwestern University and popular shops and restaurants downtown, the rental development is also steps from CTA and Metra stations at Davis Street. Apartments are scheduled to deliver in summer 2019, with pre-leasing set to begin in fall 2018.

Members of the development team gathered with Evanston officials, the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, local neighbors and design team members to mark the start of construction at a public groundbreaking ceremony held April 12.

“As a neighboring suburb of Chicago that is connected to the city’s transit network and home to a top-rated institution like Northwestern, Evanston has always provided the perfect mix of urban and suburban life, making it especially attractive for residential development,” said J.J. Smith, principal of CA Ventures. “811 Emerson will meet the growing demand for centrally located, near-transit housing that is highly amenitized yet attainable.”

Apartments at 811 Emerson will include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts 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.

Shared amenities at 811 Emerson will include 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 a variety of indoor amenities, including a social lounge/game room, business center with conference rooms and an on-site 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 Tim Anderson, CEO of Focus. “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.