The New Lorraine H. Morton City Hall

City Offices Relocation to 909 Davis Street

The City of Evanston is relocating offices from the Morton Civic Center (located at 2100 Ridge Avenue) to 909 Davis Street in early 2025. Below is the relocation schedule and important information for visitors.

Important Information

• Privately Owned Building: 909 Davis St. is a privately owned building where the City is a tenant. Other organizations operate here as well—please be respectful.
• Move Timeline: The relocation will take place in phases, starting in Q1 2025 and completing by March 31, 2025.
• Public Access: The first floor and second floor office are open to the public. The third floor is staff only access. 
• All contact information for staff will remain the same. 

• Getting to the new City Hall

  • CTA: CTA Purple Line - Davis Station
  • Metra: Metra Union Pacific North (UP-N) Line
  • Bus: Other public transportation Pace buses terminate at the Davis station and The 422 bus stops nearby
  • Bike: Bike racks are located right outside of the CTA Purple Line exit

  • Car/Parking: Those who are driving may park for free at the Maple Avenue Parking Garage or Sherman Plaza Self Park. Bring your parking ticket for validation on the 1st or 2nd floor. There are six ADA spaces available at the front entrance (a disability plate or placard is required—violators risk being towed) as well as at each parking garage. 
    
    

Relocation Schedule by Floor

1st Floor: Customer Service Center (located by the building entrance)

Services Available:

• Collector’s Office
• Adjudication
• Permitting

Key Dates:

• February 18, 2025 – The Collector’s Office will begin operating at 909 Davis St.
• Through March 2025 – Adjudication hearings will continue at 2100 Ridge Avenue.
• March 31, 2025 – Adjudication moves to 909 Davis St.

2nd Floor: City Administration & Public Services

Offices Located Here:

• City Council Chambers
• Mayor’s Office
• State Representative Office
• Office of the City Clerk
• Human Resources
• Health & Human Services
• Property Tax Assessment Review Office

Key Dates:

• March 18, 2025 – The first day this floor will be open to the public.

Location: Suite #210. Enter through the front door and take the elevator to the 2nd floor. A reception desk will direct you to the proper office.

3rd Floor: City Departments & Administrative Offices (staff only ccess)

Departments Located Here:

• City Manager’s Office (CMO)
• Administrative Services
• Community Development
• Parks, Recreation & Community Services
• Public Works
• Economic Development
• Law Department

Key Dates:

• Departments will move in phases during the month of March.
• End of March 2025 – All moves will be completed, and the Morton Civic Center (2100 Ridge Ave.) will be vacated.

Note: To meet with an individual staff member, please reach out to them directly to schedule time. This floor is not open to the public and is for staff only. 

Additional Services & Important Updates

Seniors Only DMV

New Location: Hackberry Room, Levy Senior Center (300 Dodge Ave.)
Opening Date: Monday, March 17, 2025
Last Day at Current Location: Thursday, March 13, 2025

Early Voting

Location: 2100 Ridge Avenue, Ground Floor (Room G300)
Note: Early voting will remain at this location
Date: March 17 - 31, 2025

Boards, Committees, and Commissions

They can meet in the new Council Chambers that will be located on the 2nd floor. Some BCCs may meet at other municipal facilities as appropriate.

City Council Meetings

The first City Council meeting at 909 Davis St. will take place on Monday, April 14, 2025. The Evanston City Council will meet in newly designed Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of 909 Davis Street. Community members will be able to access the public spaces by taking the elevator to the 2nd floor. The building will be open in the evenings when there are public meetings. 

Highlighted Features of 909 Davis St.

	Enhanced Safety - Including the use of employee badges, restriction of elevator access to employees with badges (limited to the 3rd floor), the presence of a security guard in the main lobby during business hours, and full compliance with ADA and current fire code standards.
	Access to contemporary spaces - The office space features a balcony overlooking Church Street. We are working with the building owners on the design of a 6th-floor conference center with additional conference space, complimentary coffee service, and a cash/digital card snack bar. Additionally, employees will have the privilege of utilizing an outdoor roof deck equipped with tables, chairs, and a barbecue grill.
	Location near restaurants and downtown amenities - 909 Davis St. is located two blocks from Fountain Square and right in the heart of Evanston’s bustling downtown. Being located downtown will allow staff to enjoy a wider variety of local restaurants and shops, summer lunches at Fountain Square, and after-work gatherings. A new outdoor dining plaza is also being designed for the walkway between the train station and the office building.
	Improved customer service - Elevated customer service will be a focal point in the new design, featuring a street-level front service desk for enhanced accessibility and meeting spaces, including Council Chambers, on the second floor to foster improved engagement with the community.
	Collaborative workspaces - The staff spaces on the 3rd floor will incorporate a mix of modern workplace design, including shared and individual workspaces and collaboration spaces. There will also be conference rooms and private ‘phone booths’.
	Free Parking - Employees will be able to park for free at the Maple Street Parking Garage only. Free parking will also be made available for visitors. Those who prefer public transit will enjoy the building's convenient location next to bus transit, the CTA Purple Line, and the Metra Davis Street stations. The building is also adjacent to both the Church Street and Davis Street protected bike lanes.

How did we get here?

On January 22, 2024, the Evanston City Council approved the City to enter into a lease agreement for Civic Center office space at 909 Davis Street.

The current Police & Fire Headquarters facility, built in 1949, needs to be revised to meet our current needs and demands. In June 2023, we conducted tours for council members of the Police/Fire HQ to demonstrate the various problems and challenges. These tours successfully garnered support for staff to take the next steps to address the long-term vision for a new Police/Fire facility. As part of this process, it was critical that we also contemplate the future of the current Civic Center building, with its significant deferred capital investment and workplace design that no longer meets our needs. There are some key potential outcomes we need to consider as a City and community:

• Consolidate Civic Center operations and Police & Fire operations in a new building
• Complete rehabilitation of the existing Civic Center building
• Construct a new standalone Civic Center building
• Construct a new standalone Police & Fire headquarters or

• Rent office space long-term for Civic Center operations

While we plan for these potential outcomes, staff recommended to the City Council that we no longer remain at the Civic Center as is. For years, we have heard from staff that workplace security was a high priority. The building, while beautiful from a distance, requires millions of dollars of investment, including ventilation, HVAC, building envelope repairs, and fire safety. Perhaps most importantly, the building needs to adequately serve all of our community members as it fails numerous ADA standards, which is unacceptable for our community.

Leasing 909 Davis St. allows us to move the new Police & Fire Headquarters project forward while stabilizing Civic Center operations - removing uncertainties about costs and operational interruptions. As we move forward with the planning and design of the Police/Fire HQ, community engagement sessions are being held to help us determine the long-term plans for the Civic Center.