City of Evanston release: The City of Evanston has been awarded a $10.06 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, secured in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), to support the Chicago Avenue Multimodal Corridor Improvements Project. The total project cost is estimated at $14 million, with this newly acquired grant…
By Bob Seidenberg The city’s budget will be bolstered for at least another year by one-time building permit fees from Northwestern University projects. These fees should allow the city to work with a lower-than-expected deficit. But even with that help, there are “a number of challenges that we foresee as part of the 2026 budget,”…
By Bob Seidenberg The Glenview franchisee bidding to bring Popeyes to the corner of Dempster Street and Dodge Avenue submitted a new application — returning to a fast food request — assuring the issue will face a public hearing. Karim Poonja, a resident of Glenview, had initially proposed operating Popeyes as a Type 2 —…
Mayor opposes split; Library Board president says going independent ‘not a foregone conclusion’ By Bob Seidenberg Evanston Public Library employees, members of AFSCME Local 1891, the city’s biggest union outside of fire and police, hit back hard Wednesday afternoon against the Library Board’s consideration of a plan to separate from the city. Mostly silent publicly…
Union argues ‘against any proposal that could result in cuts By Bob Seidenberg Evanston Public Library employees plan to rally in Fountain Square on Wednesday against a plan trustees are considering to separate from the city and make the library its own district. The employees, represented by AFSCME Council 31, and their supporters plan to…
By Bob Seidenberg Gabi Walker-Aguilar, owner of 4Suns Juice Bar, said at a protest rally Thursday that she and her partner Byron Glapion were looking forward to opening at 1826-30 Dempster St., and presenting a healthy alternative to the Popeyes chicken restaurant proposed for the vacant space. Their vision for the space “is to be called…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston Public Library officials have plenty of pros and cons to consider as they explore whether to try breaking away from the city and forming a separate library district. James Rachlin, the consultant who library trustees brought in to help them make that decision, laid out some of the considerations in a…
By Bob Seidenberg A coalition of residents and local businesses opposed to a Popeyes going into a vacant space at the corner of Dempster Street and Dodge Avenue is taking a different shape this week in the form of a new mural. The art — designed by artists El Paris and Kandi Jamieson — was…
Breaking news: Leonard Woodson, the city’s popular Special Olympics coordinator for 35 years, has accepted the city’s offer to retire from the job, maintaining false accusations from supervisors had undermined his relationships with the disabled community. Here is the statement released a short time ago by his attorney, Keith Ward. To Whom It May Concern,…
Oh By Dickelle Fonda Mayor Biss; A few days ago some of our friends overheard a conversation you were having with a woman outside of Collectivo regarding the controversial issue of Popeyes locating a Type 1 sit down restaurant at Dodge and Dempster. What struck them from this conversation was your response to this…
