As the penultimate day of the spring legislative session begins, a look at some of the housing bills still pending. With the state budget and Bears “megaprojects” bill still left, it’s growing more likely lawmakers will punt on housing legislation until the fall. evanstonnow.com/clock-is-tic...

This time residents are actually wanting less parking, in part, to preserve green space Three Crowns is saying if they don’t get this additional parking, residents better not complain about lack of on-street parking since their staff will be forced to park there.

A beauty that should have never been taken down😔

From @mattheweadie.bsky.social: The Evanston City Council tabled a final vote last night on a proposed 30-unit apartment building on Emerson. The project has faced pushback from a nearby landlord and neighbors, and concerns about how it could impact a historic Black church.

Sign taped at Evanston’s Guzman y Gomez location this morning saying it has “cease trading”. The Australian-based chain announced overnight it was immediately closing its U.S. restaurants, all of which are in the Chicagoland area.

Anti-Popeyes protesters successfully fought off a Popeyes from opening at Dempster & Dodge last fall, led by an alternative medicine practitioner/religious nonprofit that ended up buying the building while pitching a 'healthier' option with a budding restaurateur That too has now fallen through

While there hasn’t been much legislative action yet on Pritzker’s BUILD agenda, plenty has been said, especially this past week. Plus Biss’ lessons to YIMBYs following the passage of Evanston’s Housing4All plan Read more below: evanstonnow.com/the-build-up...

FWIW this panel has no legal authority over this proposal, but I know one Evanston alder that’ll gladly use their critiques to object to this project at the next council meeting.

“Like a middle finger” and “Soviet-era public housing” were some ways Evanston’s preservation panel described a proposed Emerson mid-rise last night They were asked to weigh in given the project’s proximity to Ebenezer AME Church, which is designed as a city landmark evanstonnow.com/giving-the-m...

A *very* late night at Evanston City Hall ends with the City Council adopting a sweeping housing plan that lays the groundwork for a new citywide zoning code to permit multi-unit housing throughout the city Still a long way to go before that, but the effort to derail/strike YIMBY language failed

Evanston alders gave initial approval last night in the first step to sell city-owned land near Main/Sherman being proposed for apartments and townhomes. Plus, they advances plans for an Emerson mid-rise, with the Preservation Commission asked to weigh in tonight. evanstonnow.com/plans-for-em...

The Housing Opportunity Development Corp. broke ground today on a 33-unit affordable housing development in Evanston's 5th Ward. Some pro-housing advocates say the project is a model for "YIGBY" efforts they're pushing for at the state level. evanstonnow.com/hodc-breaks-...

NEW: Chair of Roycemore’s school board said in an email earlier tonight that the private school needs to raise $675k to cover expenses for the rest of this academic year. $175k by May 8 to cover costs for the rest of this month, plus $500k by May 25 to cover costs through June.

'”Pigs” and people protest on May Day, as over 100 showed up to the demonstration organized by Indivisible Evanston evanstonnow.com/pigs-and-peo...

A 57-year-old construction worker died Thursday after falling off the roof of a Northwestern building, Evanston Police say. The site is where a new building is being built as part of the university's Kellogg School of Management. evanstonnow.com/one-dead-in-...

Illinois' Accountability Commission said this week it will likely include recommendations for criminal charges against federal agents for their actions during Operation Midway Blitz, including potentially against an agent who was involved in the violent clash on Halloween in Evanston

A 20-year-old Evanston man is now facing an attempted murder charge in connection with a shooting incident that took place last Thursday in a quiet neighborhood park in Evanston EPD says two groups exchanged gunfire and have now charged one with attempted murder

The House passed a massive economic development bill on Wednesday, but the Chicago Bears aren’t satisfied. @brendenmoore.bsky.social, @benszalinski.bsky.social and @nowickipress.bsky.social report. buff.ly/LosM5ZO

Last night, developers presented plans for a 64-unit apartment building and 15 townhomes on the 800 block of Main Street to replace a vacant storefront building and two city-owned parking lots evanstonnow.com/developers-n...

New from me: Pritzker on his BUILD Plan: “When you run into people who are maybe opposed to this, ask them, 'What are we going to do then? What is the alternative?' There really isn’t a good alternative to this.”

Hello from River North where Gov. JB Pritzker is participating in a discussion and pitching his BUILD housing plan

NEW: Developers of the proposed high-rise at Church Street Plaza have submitted revised plans that cut the project’s height by one story. Despite this, the new plans add two additional dwelling units to the building. evanstonnow.com/clark-st-dev...

Evanston’s City Council narrowly voted Monday night to delay consideration of the city’s strategic housing plan until early May after some alders pushed for more time to amend the plan evanstonnow.com/alders-delay...

New from @amartinez99.bsky.social and me: Last night, the Evanston City Council rejected a pitch from 1st Ward Ald. Clare Kelly to create a local property tax circuit breaker for qualified homeowners who have owned a home for 15+ years, providing property tax relief More:

Everyday I’m further convinced we’re living in the timeline where Jeff Winger rolled a 1…

The proposed Bent Park townhomes on Central will have 10 units rather than 11, per @thedailynu.bsky.social, confirming what one of the developers indicated to me last month dailynorthwestern.com/2026/04/07/c...

Chicago-based CityPads is eying a purchase of the vacant 801 Main St. building, Ald. Nieuwsma said during last night’s 4th Ward meeting evanstonnow.com/citypads-eye...

An Evanston-based mobile karaoke business is looking to establish a private-room karaoke venue on Benson. evanstonnow.com/private-kara...

As local and state officials look to address the ongoing housing shortage, some are looking to faith-based groups to be part of the solution. I spoke with a state senator sponsoring a 'YIGBY' bill here in Illinois. More below: evanstonnow.com/how-about-in...

Açaí bowl shop planned in Downtown Evanston evanstonnow.com/acai-bowl-re...

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton celebrated the ruling, arguing the Constitution and 14th Amendment prohibit reparations programs like Evanston's, saying... "We welcome the court’s decision to allow this historic lawsuit to move forward against this woke, racist program.”

Following up on @mattheweadie.bsky.social’s post, story on the ruling here: evanstonnow.com/suit-against...

Two years after it was approved, developers broke ground Monday on the first of 12 "efficiency homes" (600 sq ft, two bed, one bath), which will come together into a pocket neighborhood in Evanston's 7th Ward evanstonnow.com/grant-st-eff...

This is the second time in nine days faith leaders are protesting against Highlands REIT over plans to lease a vacant Colorado prison to ICE

Evanston and Oak Park looking to update their zoning codes to allow more “missing middle” housing. Plus, a new poll finds Illinois voters want legislative action on housing And an update on some housing-related bills considered in Springfield this week More below: evanstonnow.com/the-zoning-r...

A new microbrewery is open in Evanston at the former site of Temperance Beer Co. From @amartinez99.bsky.social

From last night: Evanston’s Land Use Commission advances plans for Emerson mid-rise project, despite concerns and objections raised by a nearby landlord, church members and commissioners. It now moves on to City Council for final action. evanstonnow.com/luc-advances...

I can say with earned authority that Oak Park does not have to worry about this in the next 1-2 years lol, but still love the goofy rivalry the two have

Kinda find it funny that Yes Oak Park (a pro-density group) has this as one of the reasons for upzoning in the village

The family foundation led by the heir apparent of the White Sox is proposing a youth sports facility at the former Office Depot location in North Evanston evanstonnow.com/youth-sports...

Faith leaders and immigrant advocates held an anti-ICE protest at Sherman Plaza earlier today. They claim the building’s owner plans to lease an empty Colorado prison to the federal agency. evanstonnow.com/anti-ice-pro...

Several Evanston faith leaders led a demonstration in front of Sherman Plaza earlier this afternoon to protest plans for Highlands REIT, the building’s owner, to lease an empty prison in Colorado to ICE. Story to come shortly.

Meanwhile on X/Twitter/whatever you wanna call it, AIPAC celebrating Abughazaleh’s defeat and taking credit for helping defeat “potential Squad members” in the Illinois primaries