3rd Ward candidates, mayoral hopefuls discuss plans for city’s future at forum
MARCH 3, 2025, DAILY NORTHWESTERN - Evanston’s 3rd Ward City Council candidates and mayoral hopefuls gathered at Evanston SPACE on Sunday afternoon and dished out their takes on Envision Evanston 2045, affordable housing and transit-oriented development.
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“The money is not going to just pay for a bike lane. It also will pay for improved street lighting and traffic lights, synchronized traffic lights, so hopefully that makes it easier to move cars through the corridor,” Geer said. “I think if you tell most people that, they will be like, ‘Okay, that’s a good enough improvement that we’re okay with the reshuffle of the parking.’”
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Geer said that the city does not have the necessary information, including cost estimates and development proposals, to decide the Civic Center’s future.
“What I would hate is a repeat of Harley Clarke (Mansion), where we have a building that stays vacant for 10 years,” Geer said.
As Evanston attempts to balance its progressive proposals with economic realism and some residential opposition, each 3rd Ward candidate expressed different priorities for the ward. Geer identified fiscal responsibility and lambasted council members who supported a property tax increase.
“If we’re going to get everything done, we need nuance, we need compromise and we need willingness to listen to each other,” Geer said.
