Crews will begin tearing down the dilapidated storefront at 801-809 Main St. on Monday, July 13, removing a long-vacant building from the Main-Dempster Mile and clearing the site for a proposed 79-unit housing development.
Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th Ward) announced the demolition timeline at a Tuesday, July 8, resident meeting, saying the work should take about a week. "Finally, at long last," Nieuwsma said of the project moving forward, about a year after he first called for the city to raze the building, according to Evanston Now.
The Evanston Fire Department is using the structure for training exercises before demolition begins.
The development plan
Chicago-based developer CityPads is proposing to buy the storefront and two adjacent city-owned parking lots for $1.5 million. The company's plan calls for a five-story, 64-unit apartment building on the northwest corner of Main Street and Sherman Avenue, with 1,800 square feet of ground-floor retail. Fifteen three-bedroom townhomes, three to four stories tall, would rise to the north. The project totals 79 units across the two building types.
Under the city's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, 15% of units would be set aside for households earning 60% of the area median income.
The city purchased the 801 Main building for $735,000 using Chicago-Main TIF funds in June 2025. Nieuwsma has said the property drew nearly 270 police calls over the past decade.
Demolition details
Hampshire, Illinois-based Fowler Services Inc. won the demolition contract with the lowest of four bids at $103,550. The work includes asbestos removal. Demolition had originally been planned for spring 2026 but was delayed.
What comes next
The sale to CityPads has not closed. Nieuwsma said it hinges on approved zoning allowances, meaning the developer must go through the full city review process, including Land Use Commission and City Council approval, before taking ownership of the lot.
No Land Use Commission hearing date has been publicly scheduled for the project. If ultimately approved, construction would likely not begin until the first quarter of 2027, according to Evanston Now.
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 is constructing a 230-unit building at 910-938 Custer Ave. near the Main Street Metra and CTA stations.
The City Council voted 8-1 this spring to authorize the city manager to negotiate the sale, with Ald. Clare Kelly (1st Ward) casting the lone dissenting vote.
