Council approves Levy Center kitchen remodel contract; staff says facility not yet suitable for overnight sheltering

The Evanston City Council on June 8 approved resolution 106-R26, awarding a contract to Alpha Chicago Incorporated for the Levy Center kitchen remodel (bid 2629). City Engineer Laura Biggs said the project was budgeted in the 2026 budget and that design work was completed in-house; she indicated the remodel amount appears in the 2026 budget (roughly $250,000–$300,000, per budget notes).

Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Thompson explained the current Levy Center kitchen is in poor condition and cannot support full-scale meal production or overnight emergency shelter cooking. She said the kitchen is subpar and the center is currently used as a warming/cooling site during extreme weather under normal operating hours, but it could not be used as an overnight shelter without substantial upgrades and staffing changes. Thompson said Fleetwood and Robert Crown would be the more viable alternatives for overnight shelter operations, with Levy offering easier staffing and parking for limited emergency uses once remodeled.

Council Member Kelly asked whether the upgraded kitchen could generate rental revenue by enabling in-house food sales during events; staff said the Levy Center could host food service and charge for rentals once the kitchen meets safety and capacity requirements. The contract award passed on roll call with the council recording nine votes in favor and none opposed.

Next steps: the city will execute the contract and move forward with construction to improve the Levy Center's kitchen capacity for programming and potential non-overnight emergency uses.