The office vacancy rate in downtown Evanston has seen an uptick — and city officials warn the trend could continue unabated going into 2024. Evanston Economic Development Manager Paul Zalmezak said the downtown vacancy rate stood at 12.6% as of last week, compared to a rate around 11.3% earlier this year. Concerns have grown, Zalmezak...| The Daily Northwestern
Matthew Abitbol opened a specialty footwear store in downtown Evanston just before the COVID-19 pandemic closed the world down. “We would chase down a single sale,” said Abitbol, the owner of Commonwealth Running Company. “A single shoe sale meant everything. People take for granted when a business is doing well.” Since the store opened in...| The Daily Northwestern
Rats scurried in broad daylight outside Insomnia Cookies in downtown Evanston. At night, the long-tailed rodents leapt out of trash cans. And around the clock, they forced nearby businesses to wage a “losing battle” to keep them away, store operations manager Laura Dundas said in early March. She estimated that hundreds had overrun the 1700...| The Daily Northwestern
