In the wake of a recovering economy, several construction projects in Evanston are under way, including residential units, retail space, hotels and an indoor sports facility.

This year, the number of planned development projects and proposals are above the norm, said Mark Muenzer, the city’s director of community development. There are five major projects in the works.

“People want to be in Evanston,” he said. “Now that the economy is coming back, we’re one of the first (cities) to see demand back so quickly.”

One such development is the Chicago-Main project, which calls for a nine-story mixed-use building at 835 Chicago Ave.

“Evanston is an ideal combination of both North Shore living and convenience to the city,” said Jeff Clark, one of the developers. “It’s a vibrant economy and there appears to be a pent-up demand for new rental apartments.”

The Chicago-Main project plans to allocate the building’s ground floor for retail sale, the second floor for office space and the remaining floors for 112 rental apartments. Construction has not yet begun, but is estimated to be completed by fall 2016, according to the city’s site.

Other projects currently under construction include The Hyatt House, an eight-story hotel at 1515 Chicago Ave., and the E2 Apartments, two towers located on Maple Avenue and Oak Avenue that will be 14- and 16-stories high and provide 356 residential units in total. The developments are expected to finish in late 2015 and spring 2015, respectively.

The Merion-Northshore Hotel, located on the corner of Davis Street and Chicago Avenue, is currently under construction to both renovate the existing structure and construct an eight-story addition north of the original building. The Merion is a senior apartment community and is expected to finish construction October 2015.

A sports dome has also been approved for development at 2454 Oakton St. The facility will be covered by an inflatable dome structure up to 60 feet high, the city’s site says. Such a structure will be the first of its kind in Evanston, Muenzer said.

A plan for a large building that would have been constructed at 708 Church St. was rejected because its size, mass and scale were incompatible with the city, Muenzer said.

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