Tower Crane Rises at 1621 Chicago Ave as The Legacy Breaks Ground in Downtown Evanston

A tower crane now towers over 1621 Chicago Avenue in downtown Evanston, marking a visible new phase for The Legacy, an 11-story, 110-unit residential building that has spent years working its way through city hall before breaking ground this spring.

The crane has begun moving rebar around the site as general contractor Valenti continues foundation work, following the sinking of 44 caissons into the ground earlier this year. The milestone comes after a long and often contentious road for developer Horizon Realty Group.

The site's single-story commercial structure was permitted for demolition in February 2026, clearing the way for a design from Myefski Architects, with Pappageorge Haymes Partners credited as the building's designer. Horizon received a City of Evanston permit to move forward on the project, which now shows a tower crane rising above the block for the first time.

A Scaled-Down Vision After Two Rejections

The current 11-story design represents a significant retreat from Horizon's earlier ambitions for the site. The developer previously proposed an 18-to-19-story senior complex between 2018 and 2020, and then a 15-story, 140-unit building in 2023, both of which the Evanston City Council rejected for exceeding height and density limits in what officials consider a transitional zone between downtown and adjacent residential streets. That zoning pushback effectively forced Horizon to shrink its plans down to the current 11-story, 142,000-square-foot structure.

The Legacy replaces what once housed Found Kitchen & Social, a farm-to-table restaurant that closed in August 2022 after a decade in business ahead of the site's eventual demolition. The Legacy is designed as phase two of a broader block plan for Horizon, which also owns and operates The Merion at 1611 Chicago Avenue. The Merion is a historic 1919 hotel building the company converted into luxury independent senior living. Horizon, founded in 1984, manages more than 2,400 market-rate apartments across the Chicago area.

Amenities, Layouts, and a Geothermal System

Once complete, The Legacy will offer studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom floor plans, though rates for three-bedroom units have not yet been announced. Studio rents are expected to begin at $2,200 a month, with one-bedrooms starting around $2,750 and two-bedrooms around $3,800.

The building will include geothermal heating and cooling systems, a third-floor reflecting pool, a fitness room, a work lounge, a golf simulator, a dog spa and run, and bike storage. Parking will sit within a two-level podium featuring 41 EV-capable spaces, alongside 6,800 square feet of retail space at street level.

The design features a sculpted glazed tower rising above a brick podium and is targeting LEED Gold environmental certification, according to Pappageorge Haymes Partners.

Affordability Requirements and a Citywide Housing Push

Eight of the building's units will be set aside as affordable housing reserved for tenants earning 60 percent of the area median income. Under Evanston's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, updated in 2025, residential developments with seven or more units must include affordable housing, and prospective tenants for units like those at The Legacy are selected through a centralized waitlist managed by Community Partners for Affordable Housing.

The project arrives as Evanston grapples with a broader affordability crunch. The city council adopted its 134-page "Housing4All" policy plan in May, aiming to construct 4,000 new affordable housing units and expand housing density citywide to address an estimated 35 percent of Evanston households facing housing cost burdens. The council spent nearly five hours debating 64 amendment proposals before passing the plan.

The Legacy's market-rate rents sit well above the city's broader averages, where one-bedrooms run about $1,930 a month and two-bedrooms about $2,578.

Transit Access and What Comes Next

The 1621 Chicago Avenue site sits within Evanston's designated Transit-Oriented Development corridor, three blocks east of the Davis Street CTA Purple Line and Metra Union Pacific North station hub. CTA routes 93, 201, and 206 serve the area, along with Pace routes 208, 213, 250, and the Pulse line, positioning the property to draw on the city's rail and bus incentives for dense development near transit.

Horizon hosted a groundbreaking ceremony this spring as vertical construction now gets underway. Structural topping-off is targeted for November, ahead of interior fit-outs, with the developer aiming to begin welcoming tenants in fall 2027.