North Cook News

Evanston City Council received a request during a recent meeting from the local animal shelter for funding for a major expansion project that has been in the works for three years.

Council learned during its Feb. 27, meeting, which was streamed on YouTube, that the shelter has been operating in cramped quarters as it has become more busy over the last several years. 

Advocates have been eyeing an expansion and a Cook County grant that would provide $2 million in funding for the $7 million plan to replace the old shelter, which was originally set up to be temporary and not designed to handle an influx of animals as an adoption center and hospital. The new facility would be 8,850 square feet.

“I mean, one thing that hasn't been mentioned tonight was the value engineering that staff did to try to trim some of the potential costs and minimize that budget as much as possible,” Evanston Alderman Eleanor Revelle said. “So I think everything's been done to bring it in as cost effectively as possible.”

Forty-five residents attended the meeting to address council, mostly about the animal shelter. 

Council noted that the plan would earmark $3.8 million in city funds for the project, which many urged council to approve.

“We've just been the victim of this construction inflation period that we're in,” Revelle said. “But I'm hopeful that Cook County will step forward and increase the grant money for us. So, I'm certainly overwhelmed by positive emails. I'm very happy to support the project.”

Council learned that the shelter processes more than 480 animals each year, and it is operated mostly by volunteers, with 175 of them working the 14 shifts each week at the facility.

It also was noted during the discussion that the shelter has a well-developed foundation of foster homes to house animals and help keep the number of animals at the shelter lower.

Council also learned the shelter cared for 19 animals last year whose families could not care for them for a variety of reasons, including hospital stays, house fires or other emergencies.

Council approved the contract for construction with funds added to the $2 million grant and $1 million to be generated by fundraisers. The measure was approved by an 8-1 vote, which drew applause from several people in attendance.