Edgewater residents offer a win-win compromise for Broadway - Chicago Tribune Commentary

By PATRICIA SHARKEY | President of Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development

UPDATED: September 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM CDT

👉 Read the full article in the Chicago Tribune for commentary on “Edgewater residents offer a win-win compromise for Broadway” (pdf).

The Tribune Editorial Board’s call for “some sort of compromise” on the Broadway upzoning controversy comes at a critical moment. Twice this summer, the City Council’s zoning committee canceled hearings on the city’s sweeping proposal to upzone 2.6 miles of North Broadway because officials struggled to notify thousands of affected property owners, tenants and residents.

The scale of this initiative is so unusual that the council has been unable to comply with its own rules. A hearing is now anticipated for October — if notice can be properly given.

This pause creates an opening for a “win-win” compromise that could break the standoff between the city and opposed Edgewater residents and businesses. The city seeks more housing near the Red Line, but Edgewater residents want development that fits their community. Both goals can be met.

For Edgewater’s 1.5-mile stretch of Broadway, the chance for collaboration is at hand. Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development (ERRD), a coalition of residents and small business owners, has put forward a Win-Win Roadmap: a five-point plan to reconcile growth with livability. The plan has drawn broad community support, but so far the alderman has not taken it seriously.

This is a moment for Mayor Brandon Johnson to show Edgewater residents and businesses that he is listening. The city’s dramatic upzoning of Broadway is intended to generate a boom in residential construction, but there is no guarantee it will. What is certain is that this drastic increase in zoning allowances will drive property values and taxes sharply higher — whether or not new buildings are constructed. The resulting rents could be the breaking point for many small businesses and tenants on Broadway.

Let’s begin with the obvious. “One-size-fits-all” is not a plan or even a zoning policy. With no consideration of context, the city is proposing one of the densest types of business zoning in Chicago, B3-5, for nearly every property on 10 blocks of Broadway in Edgewater, as well as intersecting streets. This would double allowed building heights and increase residential density.

One-size-fits-all zoning is a bad idea anywhere, but on Broadway, it ignores major differences between the two sides. Lots on the east side of the road are 250 feet deep and back up to the Red Line tracks — well suited for higher density. On the west side, lots are only 125 feet deep and share an alley with low-rise residential buildings. These shallow parcels cannot absorb high-rises without overwhelming adjacent neighborhoods.

ERRD’s compromise is straightforward: Allow B3-5 upzoning on the east side but retain existing zoning and case-by-case review on the shallow west side.

The city must also acknowledge that most households in Edgewater own cars. Traffic and parking pressures are already severe on Winthrop and Kenmore avenues. In July, the council compounded the problem by exempting all new housing developments from on-site parking requirements. City departments must provide a plan for thousands of additional cars vying for the scant parking surrounding Broadway.

We also need to protect the character of this neighborhood shopping district. Broadway is not a blank slate. It is one of Chicago’s most diverse, successful and essential streets. Unlike Clark Street or Southport Avenue, Broadway provides indispensable services — grocery stores, cleaners, hardware stores, barbers, medical and dental offices — while also hosting a diverse dining and grocery scene led by Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Afghani, Nigerian and Thai entrepreneurs.

Much of this vitality comes from Broadway’s unique and affordable built environment. The Edgewater Historical Society has identified 45 pre-1940 “heritage” buildings of architectural significance. Many are handsome structures with terra cotta and brick ornamentation, housing both beloved small businesses and affordable apartments. They are, however, at risk of being redeveloped.

Tearing down these one-of-a-kind buildings risks destroying the very qualities that make Broadway attractive. New construction typically commands higher rents, leading to higher vacancy rates than in older buildings. ERRD is calling for heritage buildings to be redeveloped individually, with aldermanic and community input.

There is no shortage of opportunity for significant new development along Broadway that won’t threaten its character or livability. Several large parcels owned by the CTA — formerly staging grounds for the Red and Purple Line reconstruction — are now vacant. These deep lots, backing onto the Red Line, are ideal for mixed-use projects that could add hundreds, even thousands, of housing units alongside new commercial space.

A master planning process for the CTA parcels and other key sites could deliver substantial growth while preserving what makes Broadway special. Linking redevelopment of the CTA lots with preservation around the Bryn Mawr Historic District could create a powerful synergy — modern housing paired with heritage preservation. The community is ready to rally around a vision for this location. But leaving such decisions to multiple developers with no guiding vision will squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Edgewater.

We are calling for leadership. Our road map is a compromise that promotes new housing where it fits, safeguards heritage buildings, and calls for essential planning to address traffic, parking and displacement. It reflects Edgewater’s grassroots vision for how Broadway should evolve: ambitious but balanced. Over the past 20 years, Broadway has seen one of the most remarkable turnarounds on the North Side. To ensure this success continues, we need a carefully considered plan. That is what planning departments are supposed to provide, and it is all we ask of the Johnson administration.

Johnson and Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, there is a better way forward. Edgewater is not opposed to growth — it welcomes it. But residents oppose reckless upzoning that disregards the character of our neighborhood. We want a real plan. With leadership and collaboration, the city can deliver both density and livability.

That would be a true win-win for Edgewater and for Chicago.

Patricia Sharkey is president of Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development.