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Plan of Evanston
entrance to Evanston as it is to the residents of the city. We therefore hope that the University will find a way to enable them to dedicate not only "Commercial Park" but the balance of the property in the triangle as well for the benefi t of the entire community. We understand several long term leases exist. These could either be acquired or allowed to run to maturity. If the University would go on record now that eventually the entire triangle would be emancipated, they would confer an everlasting benefit on the entire city.
The property located between Benson Avenue, Sherman Avenue and the alleys in the rear of the City Hall and Post Office Place is also very hard to put a proper. value on, as the lots fronting Sherman Avenue and Benson Avenue are one hundred sixty-five feet deep, and while ordinarily the depth of a lot over 100 feet does not add much to its value, as business property, in this case, however, the rear end of both properties are very valuable property as they are surrounded by good paved alleys or streets on both sides and rear, which makes the rear of the lots good frontages for some purposes. in figuring the value of this property we have, therefore, had to take that into consideration and have arrived at an approximate value for the ground alone of about $60,000.00. To the above should be added a like amount for the buildings, which would not exceed in value $60,000.00, making a total of $120,000.00. The immediate acquiring of this property we consider as the most important step to be taken toward the realization of our City Center plan. If this is once accomplished the rest of the plan will of necessity follow. If our public spirited citizens approve of this plan and would put their shoulders to the wheel and accomplish this one feature alone, such a suction would be created that the other parts of the City Center plan would quickly follow.
In order to get at an approximate value of the property known as the Haven Schoo property, we understand that the School Board have refused $80,000.00 for the property and we have been told that nothing less would be considered than