Ridge runs the length of the city — and the housing changes block by block.
Ridge as a roofing corridor
Ridge Avenue runs the length of Evanston, and the housing along it changes character every few blocks. South Ridge has dense early-1900s frame houses. Central Ridge has larger Foursquares and Prairie homes. North Ridge has Tudor revivals and English cottages. The Ridge Historic District covers most of the corridor and requires COA review for any visible roofing change.
What we work on
Almost everything: standing-seam metal on contemporary infill, real slate restoration on Ridge District landmarks, designer asphalt on the Foursquares and Prairie homes, and a steady stream of flat-roof work on the multi-flats that line several Ridge blocks.
The traffic question
Ridge is a four-lane arterial. We do not put dumpsters in the right-of-way on Ridge; we stage them in the driveway or in the alley behind. This adds logistical complexity that contractors not familiar with the corridor often miss.
Working with the Ridge District commission
The Ridge District has its own preservation guidelines — slightly more permissive on material substitution than Lakeshore, slightly more particular about color. We have COA precedents from Ridge work that we can cite in any application.