Say No To Blank-Check Upzoning.
Say Yes to community-led development!
Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development is a 501c4 association of residents and small businesses who advocate for community-led development in Edgewater.
Emmanuel Congregation
ERRD Urges A Better Path Forward for the Emanuel Congregation Property:
Responsible Development on Sheridan Road Is a New Park, Not Another High Rise
Lawsuit Updates
● NEXT STEP - July 17, 2026- The Court will hold another Zoom Status Hearing on ERRD's case. Judge Cohen will have issued his written decision and opinion on the City's Motion to Dismiss in advance of this hearing. The public can attend the Status Hearing via Zoom in listen only mode.
June 4, 2026 - Judge Cohen heard Oral Argument by the City and ERRD attorneys on the City's Motion to Dismiss ERRD's lawsuit. The Zoom hearing was attended by over 50 people. A transcript of the hearing will be posted on this website. The Judge will issue his decision on the City's Motion to Dismiss before the next Zoom status hearing.
--> In granting ERRD’s lawyer’s Motion for Oral Argument, Judge Cohen noted: this is a case involving the "public interest – on both sides”.
● On April 20, ERRD filed its Response to the City’s Motion – citing Illinois caselaw that disputes the City’s extraordinary overreach in both its legal arguments and its upzoning actions.
● On March 3, the City filed a Motion to Dismiss ERRD's Complaint and defending its actions. The City argued that affected Edgewater residents, businesses, and property owners have no due process rights; the City can do whatever it wants on zoning with no factual basis, study or planning; the City Zoning Committee need not comply with the Chicago Zoning Code; and affected citizens have no recourse in the Illinois courts.
● On January 13, ERRD (and 12 Co-Plaintiffs) filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court challenging the City of Chicago’s massive, unstudied, unplanned, and illegal upzoning of Broadway and its cross-streets.
Latest News
Jan 14 - Edgewater Residents File Lawsuit Challenging City’s Unprecedented Broadway Upzoning
On Monday January 12, 2026 Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development (ERRD) and 13 Edgewater residents and business owners filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court challenging the City of Chicago’s unprecedented October 16 th upzoning of hundreds of properties in Edgewater’s vital Broadway neighborhood shopping district.
COMPLAINT CLAIMS ILLEGAL UPZONING
The lawsuit alleges the upzoning process, the locations involved, and the lack of study and planning violated City of Chicago ordinances and Illinois law. The Complaint asks the court to invalidate the upzoning and restore the prior zoning classifications. For more details, view the complaint.
BACKGROUND
ERRD has long taken the position that ZONING IS A TOOL, NOT A PLAN. In this case, the City did no study of the Edgewater locations and no planning for the upzoning impacts on and around Broadway.
Further, affected local residents and businesses were cut-out of the proposal development and were subsequently mis-informed about the properties upzoned and also denied effective notice and a sufficient hearing. Learn more.
ERRD COMMENT
“Edgewater’s Broadway is a vital neighborhood shopping district with many historic buildings that houses beloved small businesses and affordable housing. The City’s reckless upzoning targets these buildings for demolition. It is unfortunate that our residents and businesses were forced to file an expensive lawsuit such as this to protect our neighborhood, but we were left with no other option,” said ERRD President Patricia Sharkey. “The sheer scale of this rezoning and the City’s determination to ram it through over the opposition of the affected community left us with no other recourse. When government fails to respect the rule of law and the rights of its citizens, a citizens’ lawsuit such as this becomes the only option.”
Please Consider Donating To Our Legal Defense Fund
Ways to Donate
Zelle ERRD@baliozian.com
Venmo - @ERRD1
Mail a Check (made out to “Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development”) to: ERRD, 6236 N. Lakewood, Chicago, IL 60660
ERRD Goals
Promoting a community-led master planning process in Edgewater'
Reversing the blanket up-zoning of Broadway
Reversing alder's 30-year property tax Break for new construction
Promoting policies to support small businesses
Preserving Broadway’s heritage buildings, and affordability
Advocating for studies and policies on traffic, parking and displacement
👉 LEARN MORE: How the city skipped the process and silenced Edgewater
How To Help
👉 DONATE If ERRD is representing your concerns, please donate what you can to help us pay the legal bills.
👉 SIGN UP For our Save Broadway News newsletter
👉 SHOW YOUR SUPPORT - By signing our Win-Win Petition.
👉 VOLUNTEER Have comms, website, public relations, media or social media tech skills to donate? Contact us at savebwy@gmail.com
Win-Win Plan for Broadway
ERRD’s Win-Win plan for Broadway achieves more than 70% of the City’s new housing goal while preserving historic buildings, supporting small businesses, and protecting the quality of life for Edgewater residents. ERRB urges the City to pursue growth responsibly rather than adopt the DPD’s one-size-fits-all upzoning.
The plan advocates for:
Study and Planning First • Community-Based Input • Targeted Redevelopment • Master Plan for CTA Parcels • Studies on Traffic, Parking, Displacement and Preservation.
Learn More:
👉 Learn more about the Win-Win Plan
👉 View win-win presentations from the Community Forum
To date the Win-Win Petition in support of the Win-Win Alternative has garnered the support of over 650 residents and Broadway businesses.
