INVESTMENT & DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
Rare ~4,200 SF (30' × 140') infill development site in North Evanston’s highly desirable Central Street commercial district. Zoned B1a with Subarea 5 Overlay, permitting up to a 3-story / 40-foot height limit and a 2.0 base FAR (~8,400 max buildable GSF). Permissible 0-foot side yard setbacks allow full-width street frontage, ideal for ground-floor retail and upper-story multi-family/luxury residential units.
PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS & TERMs:
Existing Structure: Includes an existing 495 SF standalone brick storefront generating potential holding/interim income during entitlement and permitting. Confirmed free of asbestos.
Access & Parking: Features 35 linear feet of frontage on Central Street with direct rear alley access, providing off-street parking layout or service access. Eligible for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) parking requirement reductions.
Location: High-foot-traffic corridor within walking distance to Central Street Metra Station, Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital, and Northwestern University athletic facilities.
Sale Condition: Sold AS-IS. All utilities (gas, electric, municipal water/sewer) are connected to the site.
Here is the breakdown of allowable, special permission, and prohibited business uses for a property zoned B1a with the oCSC Subarea 5 Overlay:
Permitted Uses (Allowed By-Right):
These uses are automatically permitted up to 20,000 sq. ft. in size:
Retail & Goods: Retail Goods Establishments, Retail Service Establishments, Specialty Food Stores, Food Store Establishments (hours between 6:00 a.m. and midnight).
Food & Beverage: Restaurants (Type 1), Brew Pubs, Caterers.
Residential / Mixed-Use: Upper-Story Dwellings (above ground floor), Live-Work Units, Artist Studios & Accessory Dwelling Units (dwelling must not front the street), Category I Residential Care Homes (located on ground floor).
Institutional & Civic: Cultural Facilities, Government Institutions, Private/Public Educational Institutions, Religious Institutions, Neighborhood Gardens.
Commercial & Financial: Financial Institutions (ground level), Upper-Story Offices (above ground floor).
2. Administrative Review Uses (Allowed via Staff Approval)
These uses require an administrative review/streamlined permit process rather than a full public hearing process:
Ground-Floor Office Space, Type 2 Restaurants, Commercial Indoor Recreation, Mixed-Use Market (\le7,500 sq. ft.)
3. Special Uses (Allowed Only With Special Permission)
These uses require a Special Use Permit approved by the Land Use Commission and City Council:
Entertainment & Culture: Performance Entertainment Venues, Micro-Distilleries, Craft Alcohol Production Facilities, Banquet Halls.
Cannabis Businesses: Cannabis Dispensaries, Craft Growers, Infusers, Transporters.
Care & Services: Daycare Centers (Adult, Child, or Domestic Animal), Animal Hospitals, Kennels, Tattoo and Body Art Establishments, Resale Establishments.
Residential & Lodging: Multiple-Family Dwellings (ground-floor residential), Independent Living Facilities, Boarding Houses, Category II Residential Care Homes.
Other Commercial: Mixed-Use Markets (+7,500 sq. ft.), Convenience Stores, Trade Contractors (no outside storage), Vocational Training Facilities, Planned Developments, Rooftop Urban Farms, Aquaponics, Public Utilities, Membership Organizations.
4. Prohibited Uses
These uses are strictly not permitted and not eligible for Special Use or Administrative Review approval in Subarea 5:
Drive-Through Facilities (Explicitly prohibited in Subarea 5 under the oCSC overlay, overriding base B1a rules).
Auto-Oriented & Heavy Uses: Automobile Service Stations, Auto Body Repair, Auto/RV Sales or Rental, Commercial Parking Lots, Open Sales Lots.
Institutional & Residential Care: Assisted Living Facilities, Long-Term Care Facilities, Sheltered Care Homes, Retirement Homes / Hotels, Category I Residential Care Homes on upper floors.
Other Excluded Uses: Bed & Breakfasts, Single-Family Detached Homes, Recording Studios, Transitional Shelters, Category III Transitional Treatment Facilities, Business or Vocational Schools, Dormitories.