Harley Clarke mansion moves closer to reuse plan in Evanston
The Evanston Historic Preservation Commission has approved Celadon Partners’ plan to remake the Harley Clarke Mansion as an event venue with public-facing food and gathering spaces.
The nearly 100-year-old lakefront property at 2603 Sheridan Road would include a coffee shop, restaurant and other uses. When events are not scheduled, the building is also planned to host activities such as fitness classes and co-working, according to the proposal.
Celadon first pitched an adaptive reuse plan about two years ago that included a boutique hotel, but that element was later dropped because of market conditions. The redevelopment budget remains $30 million, and the developer is seeking $12 million in federal and state historic tax credits.
The broader plan also calls for an ice cream parlor, a speakeasy-style space in the mansion’s former billiards room and restoration work on the historic grounds. The site was built for Harley Clarke in 1926, with landscape work by Jens Jensen completed in 1928, and Evanston designated it a landmark in 1982.
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