Rendering for the new restaurant complex at 1026 Davis St. Both of Dan Kelch’s popular Evanston restaurants, Taco Diablo, which was destroyed nearly a year ago in a fire, and Lulu’s, which closed several months ago, will be reopened in the new building.                                                        Rendering courtesy of Myefski Architects, Inc.

Restaurateur Dan Kelch and his team are eager to demolish the building at 1026 Davis St. so they can begin construction on a new building there that would house two of Mr. Kelch’s former restaurants, Lulu’s and Taco Diablo, along with some retail shops.

“The City has been extremely cooperative and helpful,” Mr. Kelch said. “We’re having trouble with AT&T. There is a lot of equipment that serves other properties attached to the rear of [our] building.”

“We’re behind schedule because of AT&T,” said Mr. Kelch. “It’s a little frustrating because once AT&T resolves the problem, the building can be demolished “and construction will go ahead full-bore,” he added.

Mary Gavin is the founder of the Evanston RoundTable. After 23 years as its publisher and manager, she helped transition the RoundTable to nonprofit status in 2021. She continues to write, edit, mentor...