A fire broke out at the location of the future Theo Ubique Cabaret Theater on Howard Street.

The Evanston Fire Department responded to the report of a fire in the 700 block of Howard Street Friday afternoon. It began in the attic of the building, and officials closed traffic in the area. However, EFD division chief Paul Polep said officers managed to get the fire under control within minutes.

“It was a real simple fire,” Polep said.

Polep said the cause of the fire was possibly electrical, and it only burned a couple rafters. No one was injured.

In February, City Council voted to allow the city manager to approve the contract for the construction of the Howard Street Theater. The project has been in the making since May 2015, but it ran into some controversy due to its cost. The contract with Structures Construction will cost $1,385,469, according to city documents.

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