Wrecking equipment began tearing into the long-vacant storefront at 801-809 Main St. the week of July 13, marking the start of demolition that clears the way for a proposed 79-unit housing development on the Main-Dempster Mile.

Evanston Now reported Tuesday, July 14, that demolition was underway at the site, which sits on the northwest corner of Main Street and Sherman Avenue. Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th Ward) announced at a Tuesday, July 8, resident meeting that crews would begin work Monday, July 13, with demolition expected to take about a week.

"Finally, at long last," Nieuwsma said at the July 8 meeting, about a year after he first pushed for the city to raze the building.

Hampshire, Illinois-based Fowler Services Inc. won the demolition contract with the lowest of four bids at $103,550. The work includes asbestos abatement. The Evanston Fire Department used the structure for training exercises before crews moved in.

What's planned for the site

Chicago-based developer CityPads is proposing to buy the storefront and two adjacent city-owned parking lots for $1.5 million. The plan calls for a five-story, 64-unit apartment building with 1,800 square feet of ground-floor retail, plus 15 three-bedroom townhomes of three and four stories. The project would include 29 parking spots total.

Under Evanston's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, 15% of the 79 units would be reserved for households earning 60% of the area median income. That means roughly 12 units would carry below-market rents.

The city purchased the 801 Main St. building for $735,000 using Chicago-Main TIF funds in June 2025. Nieuwsma said at an April 21 community meeting that the property had drawn nearly 270 police calls over the past decade.

Sale not yet final

The sale to CityPads has not closed. Nieuwsma said it hinges on zoning approval through the full city review process, including Land Use Commission and City Council votes. No Land Use Commission hearing date has been publicly scheduled.

The City Council voted 8-1 in May to authorize the city manager to negotiate the sale, with Ald. Clare Kelly (1st Ward) casting the lone dissenting vote.

CityPads is not new to the corridor. The firm developed the 120-unit Tapestry Station apartments at 740 Main St., which opened in 2024 and sold for $38 million in May 2026. CityPads is also constructing a 230-unit building at 910-938 Custer Ave. near the Main Street Metra and CTA stations.

If the 801 Main St. project clears zoning review, construction would not begin until the first quarter of 2027 at the earliest, according to Evanston Now reporting.