Evanston Police swarmed around the First Bank and Trust Branch at 741 Main St. late this afternoon after the bank was apparently robbed for the second time in less than a week. Witnesses said officers hunted for possible suspects in the area along Sherman and Custer Avenues just north of the bank and police reportedly […]
Posted inBusiness, Government, Real Estate
Downtown plan meeting ends with walkout
An effort by the low-rise faction on the Evanston Plan Commission to cut off debate and force adoption of lower downtown height limits failed tonight when members who tend to favor higher height limits walked out of the meeting. After hours spent debating minor aspects of the plan, Commissioner Coleen Burrus moved to limit debate […]
Posted inGovernment, Public Safety
Cops say ‘Click It or Ticket’
Evanston police officials say the department will join a national enforcement campaign starting May 19 to persuade motorists to wear their seat belts day and night. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics suggest compliance with seat belt laws is worse at night than during the day. Sixty-four percent of motorists killed at night were not […]
Posted inBusiness
Stumpy towers are an Evanston tradition
As the debate goes on over how tall the Fountain Square tower should be — or whether it should be built at all — few now recall the debate in 1925 over a plan for a 15-story tower just across the street. It was a boom time in Evanston like none seen before or since, […]
Posted inBusiness, Government, Real Estate
Live-work zoning proposed for Pitner
Owners of several properties on a half-block stretch of Pitner Avenue will ask the Evanston Zoning Committee tonight to permit live-work lofts in the area that now is zoned only for industrial uses. The view down the block from the Cinema Business Condos, 930 Pitner Ave. The area, running from the alley north of Main […]
Posted inBusiness, Government, Real Estate
City to pay part of ramp cost
Evanston Aldermen Monday indicated they will approve a proposal that the city pay $1.25 million toward the cost of relocating the parking garage ramp at the Chase Bank tower. The aldermen voted 7-1 to give preliminary approval to plans to give the owners of the tower at 1603 Orrington Ave. until Sept. 1, 2010, to […]
Posted inBusiness, Government
Liquor license denied over immigration status
The Evanston City Council, which recently urged the federal government to be more welcoming toward immigrants, found itself turning down an immigrant for a restaurant liquor license Monday because of a city ordinance that is more restrictive than state law. The city ordinance requires that liquor license holders by U.S. citizens, even though state liquor […]
Posted inGovernment
Aldermen say no to invasion of Iran
The Evanston City Council Monday adopted a resolution urging the federal government not to go to war against Iran. The resolution was approved 7-1 with only Alderman Edmund Moran, 6th Ward, voting against it. Alderman Anjena Hansen, 9th Ward, was not at the meeting. Moran argued that the council is not well enough informed about […]
Posted inBusiness
Foundation 65 Seeks Executive Director
Foundation 65 – the education foundation for Evanston/Skokie School District 65 – is seeking an executive director to work closely with its board,
Posted inGovernment, Public Safety
Council OKs extra summer police funding
The City Council tonight approved spending nearly $190,000 on increased police operations this summer. Police Chief Richard Eddington said the program will target both city-wide and neighborhood quality of life issues. Much of the effort will be tied to enforcing the city’s new earlier curfew for young people, which the chief said will officially goes […]
Posted inBusiness, Government
Aldermen eye new business regulations
Evanston aldermen say they want to regulate more businesses in the city. While the city currently regulates many types of businesses, it does not now license ones — ranging from attorneys to nail salon operators — that are licensed by the state. But Alderman Delores Holmes, 5th Ward, says she’s received complaints of serious health […]
Posted inBusiness
ETHS nature center offers tours
Evanston Township High School will hold an Open House at its on-site Nature Center from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, June 7. The whole community is invited to tour the facility, located just west of the ETHS football stadium off of Church Street. The ETHS Nature Center encompasses several habitats—prairie, savannah, ponds, wetland, forest, and a […]
Posted inBusiness
Crime suspect nabbed close to home
Evanston police have arrested a man who apparently was breaking into his neighbors’ cars. Commander Tom Guenther says officers on patrol about 3:30 Sunday morning noticed a man they believed was acting suspiciously in the 1800 block of Ashland Ave. The man had a white plastic bag with a flashlight inside that was still turned […]
Posted inBusiness
Russell named interim city manager
Mayor Lorraine Morton today announced the appointment of Rolanda Russell as Evanston’s interim city manager effective May 12. Russell was named assistant city manager in November 2006 by City Manager Julia Carroll, who is resigning because of health issues. Russell will serve as interim city manager until a new city manager is chosen by the […]
Posted inGovernment, Public Safety
Oakton closed at Ridge next week
Oakton Street will be closed to traffic at Ridge Avenue for three days next week as part of the Ridge Avenue repaving project. City officials say the closure will not affect the single lane of northbound traffic currently allowed on Ridge, but that both east and westbound traffic on Oakton will be detoured around the […]
Posted inBusiness, Education, Government, Real Estate
City to see more of tower architect
Larry Booth, lead architect of the proposed Fountain Square tower, will be seeing a lot more of Evanston soon, whether or not the building finally wins approval from the city. Northwestern University announced today that it’s named Booth to head a new undergraduate program in architectural engineering and design being launched this fall in the […]