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Plans for a 40-unit townhome development in Evanston appear to be in limbo following the death last week of one of the developers involved in the project.

William J. Rotolo, 67, of Chicago, died on Saturday, Nov. 16. Visitation is planned for Sunday afternoon at Lakeview Funeral Home in Chicago.


Rotolo, with glasses on his forehead, at a Design and Project Review committee meeting last December.

The Evanston Commons project at 910-938 Custer Ave. was approved by City Council in April, but construction has yet to begin.

A city official says that at one point recently there had been discussions about having another developer take over the project, but no agreement for that has apparently been reached.

The townhomes were intended to replace the shuttered Dard Products warehouse and factory on the site.

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Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.

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