Evanston Animal Shelter breaks ground on new facility
EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) -- A brand-new shelter for homeless cats and dogs is one step closer to reality in Evanston.
Evanston municipal leaders – including Mayor Daniel Biss – gathered Wednesday to break ground on a new 8,800 square-foot facility at 2310 Oakton St. near Evanston's southwest corner.
The new facility will replace the old Evanston Animal Shelter, which is too small and outdated to care for the 350 to 550 animals taken in each year.
Plans include 20 dog kennels, five outdoor dog-runs, cat rooms, a medical suite, a separate intake area with isolation areas for animals that are sick, an adoption room, a community room, and a food pantry.
Cook County provided a $2 million grant for the new shelter, while the Evanston Animal Shelter Association has provided $1.2 million. The City of Evanston will cover the rest of the anticipated budget of $6.3 million for the project.
The shelter will also be the first facility in Evanston with zero on-site greenhouse gas emissions.
Construction is expected to be complete next spring.
