Evanston neighbors of Northwestern University-owned houses say they've watched the properties rot for more than two decades while the university ignored the same vacant-building rules every other property owner must follow.

The City of Evanston cited seven NU-owned buildings on Wednesday, July 9, for failing to register as vacant, fining the university $250 per property, according to the Evanston RoundTable. The citations came after what Ald. Clare Kelly (1st Ward) described as years of persistent advocacy from residents, who she said have pushed for enforcement for at least three years.

"Homeowners throughout Evanston routinely receive citations for far less serious violations, yet these long-standing serious issues, in properties that are off the tax rolls, remained unaddressed for years," Kelly told Evanston Now. "Every property owner should be held to the same standards, regardless of who owns the property."

Homes vacant since the late 1990s

Water records obtained through a public records request by resident Tom Lubin show no water consumption at any of the seven cited properties since 2020. According to those records and neighbor accounts reported by The Daily Northwestern, 629 Haven St. has been vacant since 1999 and 624 Noyes St. since 2009.

Lubin, who has lived next door to 624 Noyes for 19 years, told The Daily Northwestern that when he moved to the neighborhood in 2007, the nearby 629 Haven property was already "abandoned" and "falling apart," with holes in the roof large enough to see the sky from inside. He said 624 Noyes has attracted raccoons on the roof and rats throughout the property. On Tuesday, July 14, he photographed an adult raccoon on the roof and reported it to Evanston's 311 system.

Six of the seven cited homes sit in the Northeast Evanston Historic District, according to the RoundTable.

Residents cite their own citations

The frustration centers on what neighbors describe as unequal enforcement. Lubin said he was cited in the past year for a ripped screen on his porch and fixed it immediately. Bob Hercules, a 37-year Evanston resident who serves on the NU-City Committee, told the RoundTable the city cited him two years ago for his garage roof. He replaced it within a month.

"Why isn't the same treatment given to the Northwestern houses for a much worse shape than my house?" Hercules said.

Jane Fulton Alt, who has lived near Orrington Avenue and Haven Street since 1979, told The Daily Northwestern she is "exhausted" by Northwestern's treatment of 629 Haven, which was previously owned by a former NU employee's family before the university acquired it.

Northwestern's response

At a May 12 NU-City Committee meeting, nearly two months before the citations were issued, NU Senior Associate Vice President of Facilities Angel Dizon III said the properties undergo "necessary maintenance." But NU community liaison Dave Davis told the same meeting that university officials "just do not" have plans to repair the homes, according to the RoundTable. Davis said a new plan would follow the appointment of a new president.

Northwestern told Crain's Chicago Business it "recognizes the concerns raised by neighbors" and is "actively working to address this matter," but called it "premature to comment on the specific properties." The university did not respond to requests for comment from local Evanston outlets.

City spokesperson Cynthia Vargas told the RoundTable the city is "actively working with Northwestern to address and correct the issues."

What's next

Under Evanston's Vacant Building Ordinance, property owners must pay a $450 annual registration fee per building, submit vacant building plans, and carry liability insurance of $500,000 to $2 million per property. Fines can range from $250 to $1,000 per day for each property, according to Evanston Now.

A hearing on the citations is scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, where Northwestern can contest the fines.