Evanston resident purchases former Church of Christ, Scientist property with plans for community-focused development

The Second Church of Christ, Scientist, located at 2715 Hurd Ave. in Evanston’s Sixth Ward, once served as a vibrant center of worship. The 11,000-square-foot building, with its weathered sand-colored brick and green exterior door, stood prominently among single-family homes and across from Willard Elementary School. Its spacious auditorium, capable of seating 235 individuals, was once filled with congregants, but over the past several decades, attendance has dwindled, leaving the property in need of a new purpose.

As the congregation faced declining numbers, the church sought to sell the property to accommodate various proposals, including modifications to the existing building for the Salvation Army or its complete demolition to make way for a 20,000-square-foot private day care and preschool. Neighbors expressed concerns over the potential impact of such developments, particularly regarding increased traffic and the displacement of existing residents.

Helen Madden, a lifelong neighbor, recalled the community’s strong opposition to the idea of a three-story preschool with a rooftop playground. “We are a quiet community,” she said, “so when the discussion switched to a three-story preschool with 165 children and a playground on the roof, we disagreed on that greatly.” The neighborhood, she noted, did not want the added traffic and disruption that such a development would bring.

On Dec. 28, 2022, the church was purchased by Steven Rogers, a retired senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and former Northwestern professor. Rogers, a next-door neighbor, initially sought only the adjacent parking lot, which had once been home to Bauer Place, a small street housing five Black families displaced in the late 1920s. Disheartened by the city’s historical exclusionary practices, Rogers envisioned creating a memorial garden on the property to honor and heal the Black community.

Rogers’ interest in the property was further shaped by a 2021 WGN-TV report that exposed the city’s exclusionary zoning policies and segregation-driven practices in his neighborhood. Carlis Sutton, a lifelong Evanston resident and Black community member, recounted how, around 1927, residents were told they could have houses but not the land. “There’s no Bauer Place on the map of the city of Evanston anymore,” Sutton said.

Inspired by these historical injustices, Rogers aimed to return the property to a Black owner, believing it was essential to address the community’s legacy of displacement. “My life is very much devoted to the Black race,” Rogers said, expressing his commitment to the cause. His vision for the property reflects a broader effort to confront and rectify the city’s past, guided by a desire for justice and reconciliation.

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