October 16, 2025
Headlines
Heartwood’s philosophy is one of “peace and service and healing,” but there have been moments of stress, including an unexpected visitor, since the center came out against a Popeyes locating next door, related says Nancy Floy, its founder and director.

Heartwood puts bid in to buy property slated for Popeyes

Bob05 mins

Center would purchase building, then lease it to two local businesses — 4 Suns and Whole Woman Fitness By Bob Seidenberg (rseiden914@gmail.com) The Heartwood Center has made an offer to purchase the property next door to its center, at 1826-30 Dempster St., where a Glenview resident wants to put a Popeyes franchise. Nancy Floy, the…

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Carol Nielsen, a longtime resident, told the council that “we’re listening to all these requests for approval of a vacation homes. These are modest homes and it removes them from the affordable housing stock that you all keep talking about.”

Committee seeks to halt vacation rental requests

Bob06 mins

By Bob Seidenberg A city committee has moved to close the door on the city accepting any more applications for vacation rental licenses, with affordable housing a chief concern. At the Council’s Planning and Development Committee meeting Monday, committee members directed staff not to process any more requests for licenses after a 60-day notice period…

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Evanston Public Library’s main branch at 1703 Orrington Ave.

Library board balks at city request to use library reserve funds to start a $1.9 million roof repair

Bob07 mins

Members of the Evanston Public Library Board have been in talks off and on with the city for years about repairing a leaky roof at the main library, 1703 Orrington Ave. At a meeting last week, though, trustees joined Executive Director Yolande Wilburn, emphatically rejecting the city’s suggestion the library pledge its reserve balance fund to…

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Nancy Floy, Heartwood’s founder and director, stands in front of the center’s front entrance.

Popeyes pulls zoning application, will reapply as a table service restaurant

Bob013 mins

Change follows opposition from group led by neighboring wellness center By Bob Seidenberg Several weeks after city staff approved a proposed Popeyes location at-1830 Dempster St., the franchisee has voluntarily withdrawn the zoning application and intends to reapply under a different category limited to table service restaurants, according to city officials. The change comes in…

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Shoppers from outside Evanston make up about 50% of the city’s sales at local grocery stores are from out of town residents, according to the figures gathered by Paul Zalmezak, the city’s economic development manager. Credit: Bob Seidenberg

Committee weighs grocery tax versus property tax decision

Bob04 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Several members of the city’s Finance & Budget Committee expressed interest July 9th in exploring alternatives to replacing an expiring state grocery tax with a local one, considering other places to make up the lost revenue. Raising property taxes, as unpopular as it may be, may be a “cleaner” more upfront way…

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The city’s Fourth of July Association has a full plate of activities to celebrate the Fourth of July on Friday.

Full day of activities on tap for 4th

Bob04 mins

The Evanston Fourth of July Association, in cooperation with the City of Evanston, invites the community to enjoy a full day of festivities on Friday, July 4. This year’s celebration will feature the Association’s family-friendly games in the morning, a Fun Run for kids, an award-winning parade along Central Street in the afternoon, and an…

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Evanston’s Public Works Department, based at 2020 Asbury Ave., is the focus of a first-time zero-based budgeting study that moved forward Monday.

Council OKs zero-based Public Works study

Bob06 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council members plan to examine the budget from the ground up in one city department, hoping the exercise will yield clues over time for officials to tame the city’s structural budget deficit. In a 7-1 vote Monday, council members authorized an agreement with Cincinnati-based Raftelis Financial Consultants for $99,030 to…

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