Edgewater is at Risk
Stop the Rezoning Rush
Yes to affordable housing
Yes to community-led development
No to blank-check rezoning
Edgewater Residents for Responsible Zoning* is a 501c4 association of neighbors who support both affordable housing and the revitalization of local businesses along the Broadway corridor in Edgewater. We believe that thoughtful growth must be rooted in community input and sound planning—not rushed policy changes.
*previously Edgewater Residents for Broadway (ERB)
WHERE WE ARE TODAY
The City Council is poised to adopt the massive Broadway upzoning.
However, the Tuesday June 17th Hearing before the Council's Committee on Zoning has been posponed and is anticipated to be rescheduled for July 15th.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: We need 100s of residents writing to the City Council Committee on Zoning by July 12 and 100 residents joining us at City Hall for the hearing on July 15th. Help us show the strength of community opposition to this downtown vision for our neighborhood.
#1♦️EMAIL A COMMENT TO THE COMMITTEE ON ZONING RIGHT NOW
Your written comment is very important. Even if you previously sent an email to the Alderwoman, the Department of Planning, or the Plan Commission - you now need to tell the Committee to VOTE NO to prevent this from becoming law.
ADDRESS: Send your email to: Chairman Walter Burnett (Ward27@CityofChicago.org); Nicole Wellhausen, the Committee Chief of Staff who will distribute your comment to all Committee Members (Nicole.Wellhausen@cityofchicago.org); and Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development (SaveBway@gmail.com) (that's our residents' association email) .
SUBJECT LINE: "VOTE NO ON BROADWAY UPZONING" It is important that the subject line include the words "Broadway" and "Oppose" or "Vote No" .
MESSAGE: "I am one of thousands of Edgewater residents who will be directly affected by this massive, radical and unstudied upzoning of our primary business district. Edgewater is already the densest community area in the City. Our small businesses, our residential neighborhoods, our historic buildings, and the character of our community are poised to be collateral damage under this reckless downtown vision for huge development. Our Alderwoman is not listening to her constituents. I urge you to VOTE NO on this proposal and tell Alder Manna-Hoppenworth to go back and work with affected residents and small businesses to develop a community sensitive and targeted plan for future development on Broadway. [YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS]" This is just an example, please feel free to personalize your message.
#2. ♦️JOIN OUR CARAVAN GOING TO CITY HALL ON JULY 15TH TO TESTIFY AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL.
We will be arranging car pools and public transport buddy groups. If you received a Written Notice of this upzoning, that means you either own a property that will be upzoned or you live within 250 ft of a property that will be upzoned. We especially want to ensure your voice is heard! Contact us at SaveBway@gmail.com to join us.
What’s the Press Saying
Chicago Tribune Chicago’s zoning plan for Broadway is a nonstarter (John Holden) - Apr. 25, 2025 (pdf)
News-Star A call for a responsible, community-driven rezoning of Broadway (ERB Coordinating Committee) Apr. 9, 2025 - (pdf)
News-Star City could upzone Broadway’s small businesses right out of business (Harris Meyer) Apr. 9, 2025 - (pdf)
News-Star Evanston slows down upzoning at residents’ urging, upzoning process vastly different from Chicago’s (Bob Zuley) - Mar. 19, 2025 (pdf)
News-Star Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth faces crucial decision on Broadway upzoning (Patricia Sharkey) - Feb. 26, 2025 (pdf)
Inside-Booster City Plan Commission approves Broadway upzoning framework (Bob Zuley) - Feb. 26, 2025 (pdf)
Chicago Sun-Times Stop the rush to change zoning on Broadway Avenue in Edgewater (Dunne OpEd) - Feb 23, 2025 (pdf)
Common Edge How the NIMBY-YIMBY Debates Worsened the Housing Crisis (Steve Mouzon) - Sep. 11, 2023 (link)
The ordinance submitted on April 16, 2025, to the Chicago City Council blanket upzones Broadway and its cross-streets in Edgewater to B3-5, the highest-density designation allowed in business districts under the Zoning Code. The process leading to the ordinance lacked the comprehensive planning needed to ensure equitable, sustainable development. Without safeguards, this approach threatens the character of Broadway and the livability of our neighborhood.
📖 Read our concerns - No Plan, No Voice: How the City Skipped the Process and Silenced Edgewater
📢 Sign the petition - support Our Win-Win Roadmap for Responsible Rezoning
Our Win-Win Roadmap for Responsible Rezoning
We have brought together experts and community representatives from Edgewater block groups to draft the detailed roadmap below. We urge the city to revise the ordinance as introduced to reflect the following:
Central Broadway – CTA Parcels & Bryn Mawr Historic District
-> Develop these important central parcels pursuant to a comprehensive Master Plan developed with the community.
Rationale:
Widely supported by the community; Aligns with prior planning.
Need to ensure heritage buildings in Bryn Mawr Historic District are not upzoned
Thoughtful, inclusive planning is essential for this center of the Broadway Business District
East Side of Broadway – Height & Density
-> Upzone East Side from dash-3 to dash-5 with Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth’s agreement to lead a community inclusive process to mitigate increased traffic and parking demand and small business displacement
Rationale:
250’ deep lots along the CTA Red Line are well suited for greater height and denser development and thus best suited to the goal of building more affordable housing
The existing dash-3 zoning on the East side is similar to the new dash-5
Key: To sustain quality of life, upzoning on the East side must be accompanied by a commitment to a Traffic and Parking Plan and a Small Business Retention Plan
West Side of Broadway – Height & Density
-> Do not upzone, and retain existing project-by-project upzoning process with Alder and Community review
-> Commence targeted review by Alder and affected neighborhoods to identify specific parcels for possible “pre-upzoning”
-> (Dash-3 is not a meaningful compromise)
Rationale:
Taller, denser buildings are not suitable on West side given small lot sizes and nearby low-density homes with shared alleys.
Developers cannot be given free rein over teardowns and construction in this situation.
The current zoning with exceptions has delivered thoughtful, higher-quality development and community support at the right locations.
Residential Permit Parking (RPP) may be needed, and business parking on Broadway must be preserved.
In TOD zones, dash-3 and dash-5 allow almost the same height and dash-3 increases current density dramatically too. Thus dash-3 is not generally appropriate for West side.
Both Sides – Retain Existing Permitted Business “Uses”
-> Do not upzone to B3 which would allow 37 new “permitted” and “special use” business “uses” without community input
-> Retain current “use” classifications, but agree to develop Ward guidelines to streamline approval of additional compatible “use” types
Rationale:
No justification for blanket allowance of B3 “uses” (from B1) in neighborhood shopping district.
B3 allows up to 37 currently prohibited uses, many of which are out of sync with Broadway’s neighborhood-serving retail.
Individual project rezoning with Alder and community input can enable new compatible uses, while protecting the character of neighborhoods and the commercial district.
Ward Guidelines for Broadway Development can be developed to streamline the rezoning process for types of “uses” that are defined to be needed and compatible.
Both Sides – Protect Heritage Buildings
-> Do not upzone the 45 heritage buildings on Broadway identified by the Edgewater Historical Society
Rationale:
Preserving Broadway’s historic character, small business culture, and naturally occurring affordable housing is a community priority for Broadway, just as it is for Andersonville.
