In May, Whole Foods Market will begin interior demolition in its new store, our former Dominick's at 2748 Green Bay Road, as it undertakes the complete redesign of the 56,000 square foot retail space.  The gut renovation of the future Whole Foods Market GBR store is scheduled to commence this fall, following an extensive redesign process, with a targeted opening date set for mid-2015.   The store's design will aspire to Green Globes certification, including significant sustainability features and practices.  Whole Foods Market intends for the GBR location to be a model store, incorporating innovation concepts, a wine and cheese bar, and educational components.  To get a sense of the changes coming to the Green Bay Road location, visit Whole Foods Market locations at 840 Willow Road in Northbrook and 225 West Touhy in Park Ridge.

In the meantime, the property will remain lighted, secured, monitored and shoveled as needed by employees who should be on-site with some regularity. 

The reconstruction and widening of the Bridge Street bridge over the North Shore Channel will resume as soon as weather permits and is scheduled for completion in June.  Access for pedestrians and westbound traffic will still be available throughout the second phase.

This Illinois Department of Transportation project includes removing the existing concrete deck, widening and repairing the existing piers, widening the existing abutments, installing a new line of concrete beams, and placing a new concrete bridge deck and approach slab with raised sidewalks to separate it from traffic.  The bike path on the south side of the bridge will meet the crosswalks at either end.  The project includes new street lighting and upgrades to the Bridge/McCormick traffic signal.  The entrance to the Ecology Center parking lot will stay permanently on McCormick Boulevard to facilitate safer pedestrian crossing to the Ecology Center.  Both federal funds, through IDOT, and City funds support this project.

The Bridge Street project is supervised by the City’s Engineering & Infrastructure Division, with construction activities overseen by Alfred Benesch, a consulting engineering firm.  For questions, contact the field engineer for the project, Thomas M. Carrato (773-444-7075) or the City's Senior Project Engineer, Sat Nagar, via 3-1-1.

Thank you for your patience through this project, which has exceeded all expectations for its duration.  

In 2013, Northwestern University Athletics remitted $1,057,000 for ticket tax revenue to the City, which mostly came from the seven men's football home games and 18 men's basketball home games that year.  This is the first time that annual ticket tax revenue has exceeded $1 million.  Go 'Cats! 

To purchase tickets for Northwestern University's women's and men's athletic events, click here.

Last month, the City Council voted to give notice to the Evanston Art Center that its lease for the Harley Clarke Mansion, 2603 Sheridan Road, will expire in January 2015, allowing the Art Center continued use of the building through January next year.  

On a parallel track, the City Council decided to continue discussions with the IDNR about its renovation and use of the building for its Coastal Management Program.  The IDNR has published a prospectus for its development and use of 2603 Sheridan Road. To view their proposal, click here.  Look for community meetings as we continue discussions with IDNR.  

Thank you for your patience as we improve the parking experience in two lots serving the Central Street Business District and Metra Station.  Lot 4 at Central and Stewart, across from the block that includes Great Harvest Bread Co., Walsh Natural Health, and Stella Evanston Boutique, was reconstructed in 2013, expanded to 38 spaces, and outfitted with a pay-by-space system that does not require a parking receipt to be displayed on your car's dashboard.  Your parking payment for the numbered space is confirmed electronically.  A second pay station will soon be placed at the east side of the lot closer to the Stewart/Central pedestrian crossing.  Thank you to our Central Street merchants for their continuing feedback on the parking in Lot 4. 

As for Lot 54, which runs three long blocks along Poplar Street and the Metra tracks between Livingston and Colfax, the 220 individual coin meters will be replaced by five pay stations.  Four of the stations will be placed along the commuter parking and City staff is working with Union Pacific to install a fifth parking pay station upstairs on the track platform.  These are the same daily fee pay stations currently used by commuters in Oak Park, Glenview, Northbrook, Morton Grove, and Libertyville.  The new system expands payment options to include credit cards and will also enable parkers to pay by phone once on the train.  

Thank you to Ald. Delores Holmes and the panel of experts who shared information and expertise at our combined 5th and 7th Ward meeting last month.  Our panel included:

• Kevin Leonard, Archivist, Northwestern University Archives
  
  
• Dino Robinson, Director, Shorefront Legacy Center

• Lori Osborne, Archivist, Evanston History Center 

• Suzette Robinson, Director, Public Works

• Marty Lyons, Deputy City Manager, City of Evanston

• Scott Sengenberger, Officer, Evanston Police Department

For your information, bowling is not illegal in Evanston and Frances Willard is not the reason that Evanston was dry for over a century.  To view the list of other myths we addressed, confirmed, and dispelled, visit www.cityofevanston.org/myths.  Heard a myth circulating in the community?  Post the question to 311 and we'll update the Myth webpage, as soon as practicable. 

Our City Engagement Specialist Charliese Agnew also tweeted live from the ward meeting.  To view the Storify version of the tweets, click here.

A special thanks to Kevin Harris from Northwestern's Associated Student Government and his colleagues for their help in coordinating the meeting. 

Because graduations begin in just a couple of months, here are some dates for your calendar: 

May 24, 9:30 am:  Warren High School in Welsh-Ryan Arena

May 28, 7 pm:  Niles West High School (practice 9:30 am) in Welsh-Ryan Arena

May 29, 7 pm:  Niles North High School (practice 9:30 am) in Welsh-Ryan Arena

June 1, 1 pm:  Evanston Township High School (practice May 30, 1 pm) in Welsh-Ryan Arena

June 1, 5 pm:  New Trier Township High School (practice May 30, 9 am) in Welsh-Ryan Arena

June 20, 9:30 am:  Northwestern University Commencement in Ryan Field 

June 20, 5 pm:  Kellogg School of Management in Ryan Field 

June 20, 8:30 am:  McCormick School of Engineering in McGaw Hall 

June 20, 11:30 am:  Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences in Ryan Field

Taking note of Sunshine Week, a national initiative to promote open government and access to public information, I encourage you to visit the City of Evanston's transparency webpage.  You'll find everything from your City's credit rating, financial reports and audits to employee compensation and union contracts.  Check out the City's bills lists and the data on employee sick time usage.   Peruse the database of ongoing contracts the City has with outside vendors.  Satisfy your curiosity about how the City's administration is structured.  And let the City know what more you'd like to see by calling 3-1-1.