Downtown Residents Association (DRA)
Committed to Maintaining a Neighborhood Community in Downtown Evanston
Committed to Maintaining a Neighborhood Community in Downtown Evanston
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DRA History
In November 2006, the Downtown Residents Association (DRA)
was started in response to a proposed City of Evanston
ordinance which, if passed, would have continued to tax
selected residential property owners in the downtown
Evanston area for services provided by EVMark. EVMark’s
contractual responsibilities are to market downtown Evanston
to consumers and to manage its physical environment. The
ordinance, #113-O-06, was to expand and extend Special
Service Area #4 (SSA#4) established in 1987 and create a
contract with EVMark for 12 years. The 2006 ordinance
included an enlarged, redrawn SSA#4 map. Residential
property owners within the redrawn boundaries were to be
assessed.
Eleven downtown Evanston residents representing nine
buildings, along with other property owners, met to review the
terms of the ordinance and ultimately formed the Downtown
Residents Association. DRA took the position that downtown
residential property owners were being unfairly taxed for an
area which benefits all of Evanston. There was no exclusive
benefit to downtown residential property owners from retail
marketing and promotion, and they were not included in
EVMark, an agency that receives public funds.
DRA was successful in its campaign. Ordinance #67-O-07 was
adopted by the City Council on July 9, 2007. Residential
property owners who live within SSA#4 have been excluded
from the SSA#4 tax, and boundaries that were drawn to get
more residences into SSA#4 were changed. The tax to support
SSA#4 and fund EVMark is now paid by the downtown
commercial property owners. Other revenue sources include
contributions from the City of Evanston and Northwestern
University. The contract with the City will be reviewed annually
with EVMark reporting to the City Council regularly on its
progress and activities. Two residential property
owners/residents from within SSA#4, nominated by DRA, and
one residential property owner/resident from outside of SSA#4,
nominated by the City of Evanston’s Economic Development
Committee, now participate on EVMark’s board.
Today, DRA’s members include residents from 19 different
buildings. The 12-member governing board continues to
monitor development in the downtown Evanston area,
collaborate with City officials, and engage with
commercial/business owners as it promotes DRA and builds
its membership. Our ongoing commitment is to balance
economic development with residential quality of life while
maintaining a neighborhood community in downtown Evanston.
In November 2006, the Downtown Residents Association (DRA)
was started in response to a proposed City of Evanston
ordinance which, if passed, would have continued to tax
selected residential property owners in the downtown
Evanston area for services provided by EVMark. EVMark’s
contractual responsibilities are to market downtown Evanston
to consumers and to manage its physical environment. The
ordinance, #113-O-06, was to expand and extend Special
Service Area #4 (SSA#4) established in 1987 and create a
contract with EVMark for 12 years. The 2006 ordinance
included an enlarged, redrawn SSA#4 map. Residential
property owners within the redrawn boundaries were to be
assessed.
Eleven downtown Evanston residents representing nine
buildings, along with other property owners, met to review the
terms of the ordinance and ultimately formed the Downtown
Residents Association. DRA took the position that downtown
residential property owners were being unfairly taxed for an
area which benefits all of Evanston. There was no exclusive
benefit to downtown residential property owners from retail
marketing and promotion, and they were not included in
EVMark, an agency that receives public funds.
DRA was successful in its campaign. Ordinance #67-O-07 was
adopted by the City Council on July 9, 2007. Residential
property owners who live within SSA#4 have been excluded
from the SSA#4 tax, and boundaries that were drawn to get
more residences into SSA#4 were changed. The tax to support
SSA#4 and fund EVMark is now paid by the downtown
commercial property owners. Other revenue sources include
contributions from the City of Evanston and Northwestern
University. The contract with the City will be reviewed annually
with EVMark reporting to the City Council regularly on its
progress and activities. Two residential property
owners/residents from within SSA#4, nominated by DRA, and
one residential property owner/resident from outside of SSA#4,
nominated by the City of Evanston’s Economic Development
Committee, now participate on EVMark’s board.
Today, DRA’s members include residents from 19 different
buildings. The 12-member governing board continues to
monitor development in the downtown Evanston area,
collaborate with City officials, and engage with
commercial/business owners as it promotes DRA and builds
its membership. Our ongoing commitment is to balance
economic development with residential quality of life while
maintaining a neighborhood community in downtown Evanston.
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