Evanston committee rejects $248,000 community-engagement contract for Emerson–Jackson site

The Evanston Administration & Public Works Committee voted to reject a staff recommendation to award a $248,000 contract for community engagement and market analysis related to the Emerson–Jackson parcel, leaving the city without a committee-endorsed consultant for the project.

Staff sought approval to award the contract to SB Friedman Development Advisors; the committee instead voted the measure down and discussed next steps, including whether staff should return with a recommendation to hire the second-ranked bidder at a lower price.

Paul Zalmzak, economic development manager, told the committee the engagement contract was designed to do three things: create educational materials about affordable housing, conduct a market analysis and engage the community to produce designs and materials that could be reused on future affordable-housing projects. "This isn't just an engagement project around a table with some sticker dots," Zalmzak said. He said the recommended team added technical real-estate advisory services the lower-cost offer did not.

Several council members questioned the price difference between the top-ranked bidder and the runner-up. Council member Nussbaum and others pressed staff to explain why the committee should accept a consultant priced at roughly $248,000 when a competing proposal was approximately half that cost. Zalmzak said the higher-priced team performed better in interviews, offered the market-analysis and financial-modeling work requested in the RFP, and demonstrated communications and reusability toward future projects.

Council member Kelly said she was "not comfortable" awarding the higher price for what she described as a limited parcel, and asked whether the funds would be better spent on a citywide strategic housing plan or other housing programs. Council member Davis raised a related concern: the city has an in-progress strategic housing plan and staffing shortages in the housing team, and he questioned whether the same work should be done in-house or under a citywide procurement.

Public commenter Tricia Connolly also criticized the overall level of consultant spending cited in the packet and urged city leaders to explore in-house alternatives and partnerships. Council member Burns, who discussed the proposal’s background, said the approach mirrors Chicago’s Invest Southwest model and argued the deliverables — market analysis, communications and community-designed proposals — would be reusable for multiple future sites.

Legal counsel advised that if the committee declined the recommended award, staff could return with a recommendation to award the contract to the second-ranked proposer at a later APW meeting. The committee voted against the SB Friedman award; the recorded outcome was a committee-level rejection, 5–0, and staff said they could return with an alternate recommendation.

Motion and vote: The committee considered a motion to approve the contract award to SB Friedman Development Advisors for community engagement and visioning for Emerson–Jackson. The motion was moved by Council member Nussbaum and seconded by Council member Harris and failed on a committee vote.