Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth faces crucial decision on Broadway upzoning
BY PATRICIA SHARKEY
President, ENN-NEON Block Club
News-Star Commentary - Feb. 26, 2025 (pdf)
An uproar at the February Chicago Plan Commission [CPC] meeting last week highlighted a significant moment for Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth [48th]. Dozens of her constituents flooded the CPC meeting to voice their objections to a City proposal to radically upzone all of Broadway in Edgewater – a proposal supported by the Alderwoman.
On one side, she faces fierce opposition from thousands of Edgewater residents whose neighborhoods include and border Broadway and who are calling for more study. On the other side is the Johnson Administration and affordable housing advocates from outside the community pushing a city-wide agenda that could reshape Edgewater’s character forever.
The ball is now in the Alderwoman’s court to decide whether she will listen to the voices of her constituents or continue to push forward with an outside agenda that may cause long-term harm to the Edgewater community.
The Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development’s [DPD] proposal calls for upzoning every property in Edgewater’s Broadway business district, stretching from Foster to Devon, to the highest possible business height and density classification in the City Zoning Code: B3-5. This would allow the construction of buildings up to eight stories tall on both sides of Broadway and with up to 5 to 7 times more residential units than current zoning allows on the West side.
Proponents argue that this change is necessary to increase affordable housing in the area, but residents point out that Broadway is primarily a business district and cite substantial construction of mixed use commercial and residential buildings on both sides of Broadway over the last 20 years under the existing zoning and with the existing community input process.
In fact, Edgewater is one of the densest and most diverse communities in the City, with a diverse housing stock. It is also one of the most affordable communities on the north lakefront.
Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth’s unwavering support for the proposal, despite the overwhelming opposition from her constituents, raises concerns about her priorities. Edgewater residents do not oppose the idea of more housing, but they have called for a more thoughtful, community-driven process that includes a comprehensive study and a plan to address the impacts of such a drastic upzoning.
Unfortunately, the DPD has failed to conduct such a study, and the lack of proper planning for this major change has left many questioning the city’s motives in Edgewater.
It is estimated that the proposed zoning change could spur over 10,000 new housing units on Broadway in Edgewater, but there is no data to show how this will affect the local economy, property values, or the quality of life. Residents contend that unbridled development encouraged by B3-5 zoning could drive up property values and taxes, displace iconic small businesses and over 45 heritage buildings, and flood the street with high-rise buildings that create a “canyon” effect.
The lack of planning for this significant change isn’t the City’s normal mode of operation. In fact, residents pointed out to the CPC that the DPD has spent far more time studying and providing community input for proposals to upzone other areas of the city, such as Western Ave. and 95th Street, before recommending lower levels of upzoning. Indeed, the City undertook Comprehensive planning for both of those business corridors and in the end only upzoned those corridors to a “-3” height and density level which is the existing zoning on the East side of Broadway.
Moreover, the facts on the ground cast doubt on the contention that B3-5 upzoning will solve the affordability crisis. Local realtor John Charmelo presented the CPC with figures showing that rents in Edgewater are already below the citywide median, including those in Uptown. In fact, Charmelo found that rents in Uptown skyrocketed after the 2,000 unit Cedar Flats development was built under B3-5 zoning.
Equally troubling is the DPD’s lack of engagement with the community. Residents have criticized the department’s public input process as superficial, accusing the DPD of deliberately excluding affected community groups like local Block Clubs. While the DPD held a few “Open Houses,” residents argue that these events were superficial, did not reflect the community’s past visioning work, and failed to provide complete data or address the impacts of the upzoning.
The absence of a meaningful dialogue between the city and Edgewater residents raises questions about whether the DPD “top down” proposal for Broadway is truly designed to address local needs or rather is an experiment in radical upzoning.
After the CPC meeting, City Zoning Administrator Patrick Murphey and Cmsr. Boatright reassured residents that the approval of the Framework is not a final approval of upzoning. However, the DPD has already signaled that they plan to move forward with the B3-5 proposal in early 2025, leaving Ald. Manaa- Hoppenworth with a critical decision to make right now.
It’s time for Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth to take responsibility and represent the interests of her constituents, not the citywide development agenda pushed by outside advocates. She must hit the pause button on this radical upzoning proposal and work with Edgewater residents to ensure that any changes to Broadway are carefully planned, thoroughly studied, and take into account the concerns of the people who live and work here.
The future of Edgewater is at a crossroads, and the decisions made in the coming weeks will determine whether the neighborhood remains a vibrant, community-centered area or is irreparably changed by unchecked development.
The ball is now in Alderwoman’s court. Will she prioritize the voices of her constituents or forge ahead with a plan that could drastically alter Edgewater’s future? The time for indecision is over.
It’s time for the Alderwoman to act responsibly and protect the interests of the community she represents.