Draft Plan to Rezone N. Broadway for Higher Density, Mixed-Use Released

Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development released a draft land use framework this month for rezoning a portion of North Broadway, stretching from West Montrose Avenue in Uptown to West Devon Avenue near Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus.

The draft framework was released at a Jan. 16 open house as part of a partnership with DPD, the 48th, 47th and 46th Wards, the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce and Uptown United. The Broadway Land Use Planning project is currently garnering community input through an online survey open until Feb. 6.

The draft framework includes recommendations for upzoning large swaths of North Broadway on both the east and west sides of the street to mid and high level density, as well as mixed-use development. Much of North Broadway north of West Foster Avenue is designated as B3-5 zoning, which indicates transit-oriented, mixed-use development, according to the draft.

South of Foster, most of Uptown is recommended for C1-5 zoning to support more nightlife, personal services and an extension of the pedestrian street designation. The various zonings recommended in the draft promote minimum building heights of four or five stories, with the highest density zonings aligning with the various Red Line stops along this stretch of North Broadway.

The community goals and priorities stated in the draft framework include improving housing affordability, supporting local business, fostering transit and pedestrian oriented environments and maintaining transparency and opportunities for community feedback on future developments.

In an email to The Phoenix, Peter Strazzabosco, deputy commissioner at DPD, wrote the process addresses an urgent need for more housing as demand outpaces supply.

“Goals will be achieved incrementally, starting with the adoption by Plan Commission of a land use framework, followed by zoning changes approved by City Council that reflect the framework’s recommendations, followed by actual construction projects that utilize the zoning,” Strazzabosco wrote. “Note: Pending market conditions, it could take months, to years, to many years, for new construction projects to advance as a result of the planning process.”

Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th) said she’s closely working with DPD on the land use framework, which she believes addresses today’s most important issue at the national, state and local levels — the housing crisis.

“We want to tell people that this area, Edgewater and Uptown, is a desirable place to live, to work, to develop, because we are so rich in our amenities,” Manaa-Hoppenworth said. “Especially because of public transit steps away from the lakefront, incredible small businesses, culturally rich neighborhoods and a diversity of people, including LGBTQ+ people.”

Manaa-Hoppenworth called North Broadway the “spine of our neighborhood” and said she wants more local ownership along the corridor so people who want to raise children, open and run small businesses and grow old can all stay in the neighborhood.

She also said she wants development in the 48th Ward to be a model for sustainable, social housing that can be an example to the rest of the country on how to foster local ownership and encourage people to stay in the ward.

“We’re also, not only with DPD, but working with CTA, our sister agency, because for the first time in 100 years we’re seeing investment, a billion dollar investment, into our Red Line,” Manaa-Hoppenworth said. “We are one of the highest riderships in the city of Chicago, from this part of town on the CTA. So we basically want the CTA to survive — we want it to thrive.”

The Red and Purple Modernization Project is the largest capital improvement in Chicago Transit Authority history, with a $2.1 billion dollar total price tag as of 2024, and Phase One is slated to be finished this year, The Phoenix previously reported. The seven stations alongside the section of Broadway designated for rezoning include Wilson, Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Thorndale and Granville.

A group of 10 residential associations and block clubs sent a joint letter to the Broadway Land Use Planning project partners Jan. 16 expressing disappointment in the planning and public input process. Some concerns listed in the letter were the preservation of historic buildings, impacts on traffic and parking, loss of light and open space and the impact of the rezoning on existing small businesses and affordable housing.

The letter also criticized the speed of the planning process and called for a comprehensive study of the North Broadway corridor to examine possible effects of rezoning.

“There is no valid reason to rush large-scale rezoning of our major thoroughfare and business district without a plan,” the letter reads. “While the city may seek to encourage transit-oriented development, there is no city mandate to do so without a comprehensive planning approach.”

John Holden, president of the Edgewater Historical Society, echoed similar concerns about the blanket nature of the rezoning proposal and the potential dangers for historic buildings. He also questioned why increasing the density around Broadway is needed at this time. 

Holden said the Historical Society isn’t opposed to affordable housing development, but he believes there are better ways to achieve it.

“If you just do a blanket upzoning on these properties, then developers can come in and take down anything they want,” Holden said. “And the city, after they’ve done the rezoning, really doesn’t have any power to stop them. So the only real power the city wields is the zoning power. So that’s why we think this whole idea is kind of a little ass-backwards, quite honestly.”

Holden and Manaa-Hoppenworth attended a public meeting Jan. 25 at the Edgewater Branch Chicago Public Library, hosted by the coalition of residential associations and block clubs who signed the joint letter.

Manaa-Hoppenworth said she remained till the end of the meeting to listen to the presentation and everyone’s concerns. She said she believed the presentation had a lot of bias and urged those who attended the Saturday forum to also attend the upcoming Jan. 30 online meeting hosted by DPD.

“It’s going to bring more people into the community, more people to the schools, more people to the small businesses, and it’s also going to contribute to our tax base,” Manaa-Hoppenworth said. “We need that right now. We need more people living here to contribute to the tax base so that we can continue living here in a way that is affordable — that will make sense for people to stay.”

DPD has already hosted two open houses and created two online surveys, including the still available Feb. 6 survey, which have collected a total of 600 responses, according to Strazzabosco. He also said while not unanimous, public opinion from these forums indicated high support for increasing density and housing.

In an email statement to The Phoenix, Garret Karp, executive director for listed partner in the project the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, wrote while the Chamber attended both open houses hosted by DPD and has met with DPD and local ward offices, they haven’t endorsed or been asked to endorse any zoning changes along North Broadway.

“As an independent not-for-profit organization, Edgewater Chamber’s board of directors will carefully consider whether to support or not support a final plan or proposal from the City of Chicago if and when it becomes available,” Karp wrote.
Those interested in providing their own feedback on the draft framework can still fill out DPD’s survey through Feb. 6 and can register online to attend the virtual public meeting Jan. 30 from 6 to 7 p.m. to hear from the project partners.