By Bob Seidenberg Evanston’s downtown fountain probably won’t start flowing again until summer of 2026, City Engineer, Lara Biggs told City Council members in a discussion of the issue tonight. The fountain, a centerpiece of downtown, has been off since spring of 2021, when officials observed it was unable to retain water. The city subsequently…
All options are on the table – including moving out – with library’s nearly 30-year old main branch needing an $18.3 million renovation. By Bob Seidenberg Evanston Public Library trustees indicated Wednesday they may press for a new agreement with the city, reacting to a preliminary report that placed costs for renovation of the main…
Veteran developer Kent Swanson advises committee on strategies used elsewhere to revitalize business districts By Bob Seidenberg Evanston has more in common with Chicago than nearby suburbs that are contending with high office vacancy rates and should consider a variety of solutions such as “Live and Work and Play” and partial conversions from office to…
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com A plaza at the intersection of Church Street and Maple Avenue the city is seeking to redesign should have an identity separate from Fountain Square, according to members of the Economic Development Committee and others at the EDC meeting. Other ideas that came up at Wednesday’s meeting included opportunities for local…
Are you ready to take the plunge? By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com Candidates interested in running in Evanston’s once-every-four-years municipal election next year can get an earlier start down that road this year with today, Tuesday, July 30, marking the first day they can begin circulating petitions to gather the number of signatures they’ll need to…
Council Member Kelly presses for transparency on July 1st fiber optic break By Bob Seidenberg Evanston’s top information security officer provided details to a city committee Monday about the severing of fiber optic cables on July 1 that left many of the city’s major public buildings without internet for three days and also affected Northwestern…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council members decided Monday to stick with the original design put forward by staff to provide wheelchair access to the Dog Beach, despite beach users advocating for a shorter, more direct route than the one proposed. With Mayor Daniel Biss breaking a 4-4 tie after two-hour debate, council voted to…
By Bob Seidenberg Bill Logan Jr, Evanston’s first Black police chief and a hometown hero to generations of Evanston residents, has passed away, his family announced this morning. Chief Logan died Sunday, son Gilo Logan reported on Facebook this morning. “We are devastated. We know many of you are too,” he wrote. “We have learned…
Council member challenges decision not to reappoint commissioner to city’s Land Use Commission By Bob Seidenberg Mayor Daniel Biss’ decision not to reappoint a commissioner praised for her expertise to the city’s Land Use Commission sparked debate at the July 8 City Council meeting, with one council member urging Biss to reconsider. At the meeting,…
All lines repaired by early morning Thursday, ending service outage By Bob Seidenberg A contractor inadvertently severed fiber optic data lines at the intersection of Ridge Avenue and Leon Place early Monday, taking a wide range of city sites offline for several days. All city fiber optic lines had been repaired as of about 1:30 a.m….
