Northlight continues to move successfully through the City process with our plans for a new theatre in downtown Evanston. We're pleased to report that at the Evanston City Council Planning and Development Committee meeting on Monday, September 23, Northlight's project was passed unanimously for introduction to the City Council.
Several Evanston residents expressed their strong support of Northlight returning to Evanston during the public comment portion of the meeting, including:
Evanston resident Bob Best: "I live about a block and a half from the theater and feel as if I've won the lottery... it's a win-win-win-win-win!"
Amy Morton, owner of The Barn restaurant at the Northlight site (which will remain in place when the new theatre opens), says she's a big proponent of the project. "We're a world class city - the one thing we're missing is a theatre." She continued, "We don't just want Northlight - we need Northlight for our families. They do a lot more than paid performances, including youth arts programs."
Alderman Don Wilson, 4th Ward, expressed his support and said he's convinced the traffic issues can be handled appropriately, while Alderman Melissa Wynne, 3rd Ward, shared that she was pleased Northlight didn't give up and is excited to have the theatre return to Evanston.
The project will be up for a City Council vote in October.