Announcements

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An update from the Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development

CITY COUNCIL ENACTS MASSIVE BROADWAY UPZONING OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF RESIDENTS

100 Edgewater Residents Attend Oct 14 Hearing & Speak Out
Against Broadway Upzoning

Despite the presence of 100 Edgewater Residents opposing it, on October 14, the City Council’s Committee on Zoning voted 15 to 2 to approve Alderwoman Manaa-Hoppenworth’s unprecedented, unstudied and unplanned massive upzoning of Broadway. Today, just two days later, the measures were swiftly enacted into law by the full City Council with no discussion.

This outcome was anticipated. This was not a vote on the merits of the massive upzoning of Broadway — it was simply other Alderpersons “deferring” to Alderwoman Manaa-Hoppenworth based on this being a land use matter in her Ward. Alders don’t break ranks on these things lest they not be given the same “prerogative” in their Wards. We know this. But ERRD’s primary objective was achieved: ensuring that residents’ objections and the concerns voiced by several skeptical Alders on the Committee are now part of the official public record.

ERRD supporters packed the committee hearing wearing bright yellow scarves – the color of democratic movements around the world – and made a compelling statement just by their presence. We have made a strong record overall on the City’s numerous procedural and legal violations—including failures in public notice, disregard of due process, and violation of zoning code requirements— as well as the lack of study and planning and harmful impacts of this poor zoning decision. The City Council’s action today underscores the importance of our continued vigilance as we move into the next stage: protecting Broadway from thoughtless teardown and redevelopment.

ERRD remains focused on the long game—to encourage responsible development and to advocate for our Win-Win Plan, a path forward that plans both for growth and for maintaining our vibrant, diverse and affordable business district and community.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the 100+ Edgewater residents and small business owners who took the time to go downtown at 10 am on a workday to support our grassroots effort to protect our small businesses, heritage buildings and quality of life in Edgewater and the 48th Ward.

Stay tuned for ERRD’s next steps—including community action, advocacy, and legal steps to hold the City accountable and demanding genuine community-led planning in the 48th Ward.

See ERRD’s Win-Win Plan for Broadway.

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Alderwoman Manaa-Hoppenworth has asked ASCO to publish the letter below to provide more information regarding ongoing work and plans in the 48th Ward

A Message from Alderwoman Manaa-Hoppenworth:

Dear Neighbors, 

Sheridan Road is one of the densely populated streets in Chicago, and home to a number of vulnerable populations including older adults. Pedestrian safety on Sheridan Road is a top priority of our office, and we are collaborating with neighbors, community leaders, and CDOT on a number of initiatives to slow down cars, create pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and organize our streets to improve safety for all users. We appreciate ASCO’s collaboration on all of these efforts, and hope that you are seeing the impact of the improvements!

New Speed Camera

Decorative Cross-Walks

In 2024, the 48th Ward voted to add decorative cross-walks to five intersections on Sheridan Road. These cross-walks encourage drivers to slow down and reduce the number of vehicles blocking the cross-walks. They give the street a pedestrian-friendly look and feel. This $240,000 project was on the ballot during the first ever 48th ward participatory budgeting vote, and was the most popular project on the ballot. The decorative cross-walks have been installed at the locations listed below. 

• Sheridan & Rosemont
• Sheridan & Granville
• Sheridan & Glenlake
• Sheridan & Thorndale
• Sheridan & Ardmore

Decorative cross-walks on Bryn Mawr including Sheridan & Bryn Mawr were voted on in 2025, and will be coming soon. 

Increased Walk Time at Sheridan & Glenlake

At the request of residents, we worked with CDOT to review and design a new timing plan at Sheridan & Glenlake. This resulted in increasing the “walk” time for crossing Sheridan by 3 seconds (12 to 15 seconds). This was done by shifting 3 seconds of green time from Sheridan to Glenlake.

Audible Cross-Walk at Sheridan & Balmoral

In 2025, the community voted to add an Audible Cross-Walk at Sheridan & Balmoral through the Participatory Budget process. The total cost of the improvement is $180,000. The audible cross-walk is expected to be installed in 2026.

Traffic Light at Sheridan & Balmoral

In March 2025, we replaced the missing traffic light that hangs over the street at Sheridan and Balmoral.

Improvements at Catalpa & Sheridan

We worked with CDOT and community members on a traffic study at Catalpa and Sheridan which resulted in the following:

• “Stop Ahead” Pavement Markings in the approach to Catalpa for north and southbound traffic
• Decorative cross-walks
• New “Stop Ahead” signage for northbound traffic
• Re-positioning of the “Stop Ahead” sign for southbound traffic to enhance visibility

The new signage and re-positioned signage was implemented in 2025, and the pavement markings will be implemented in 2026. We are coordinating the timing of the pavement markings with DWM and CDOT based on other projects on the block.

Thank you to all of our Sheridan Road neighbors for your partnership on these pedestrian safety improvements. Read about these projects as well as upcoming 2026 projects on our blog: Pedestrian Safety Improvements on Sheridan Road.  

In Community,

Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth

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The Greenest, Most Affordable Housing
Is the Housing We Already Have

By Jack Markowski

As Chicago debates the future of Broadway in Edgewater, one simple truth is being overlooked: the greenest housing is the housing we already have. Every time we demolish an existing building and replace it with new construction, we incur an enormous carbon cost. The embodied energy in brick,wood, and concrete — all the materials that went into our older buildings — is lost, and the emissions from producing and transporting new materials are added to the atmosphere. Preservation isn’t nostalgia; it’s climate policy.

But environmental impact is only half the story. Existing housing is also our city’s most affordable housing; it’s called Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing. The one to three-story buildings that line Broadway provide naturally affordable homes for working families, seniors, and young people; they also house a vast array of locally owned businesses. When those buildings are replaced by upscale new developments, the result isn’t a wider range of choices — it’s higher rents and fewer options for current residents and businesses…

Supporters of upzoning claim that allowing taller, denser private developments will eventually lower rents on Broadway and throughout Edgewater. That theory — a “trickle down” approach to housing — depends on an unrealistic assumption: that private developers will build so much market-rate housing that supply vastly outstrips demand. In fact, in Chicago this has never proven to be true. There is not a single instance where development has led to price reductions in a local housing market. In Edgewater, a thriving and desirable community, this will never happen. Prices won’t drop until the neighborhood loses the very qualities that make people want to live here…

Preserving existing housing and protecting local businesses isn’t just about saving old buildings. It’s about protecting affordability, reducing emissions, and keeping neighborhoods like Edgewater strong.

Jack Markowski is the former Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Housing and former President /CEO of the Community Investment Corporation, the Chicago area’s leading lender for affordable rental housing.

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Save Broadway News

An update from the Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development

The City has designated over 80% of Broadway’s “Under-Utilized” and a “Development Opportunity”.

Above is the Dept. of Planning’s Broadway “Development Opportunities” map. Under the City’s proposal every property highlighted in green and blue would be up-zoned to make way for demolition and a new corridor of buildings up to 8-stories tall and with up to 7 times the number of units. All of these buildings and the businesses and residents on Broadway are on the chopping block. Big lots, small lots, backing up to residential alleys or the El tracks, heritage buildings, affordable residential units, parking or no parking provided — the City doesn’t care. It has done no study of the community or planning for the impacts of this massive change.

www.SaveEdgewater.com

Here’s how you can help us Save Broadway from becoming a corridor of expensive monolithic buildings with vacant storefronts.

FOUR THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP

The October 14th City Zoning Committee Hearing is just 2 weeks away.

1. Sign the Edgewater Residents for Broadway’s Petition:

Join hundreds of Edgewater residents in telling the Alder, the Mayor and the City Council that a majority of affected residents oppose the City’s forced upzoning and support a real plan for Broadway.

Go to the ERRD website for more information on the Petition and the Win-Win Roadmap alternative plan.

2. Attend the Hearing on October 14th

Join us at the City Council Zoning Committee Hearing:

Tuesday October 14th at 10 AM
2nd Floor of City Hall
121 N. LaSalle Street.

RSVP to [email protected] for hearing updates and logistics.

JOIN OUR CARAVAN

Let’s power together to City Hall on October 14 to stand against this proposal. We are arranging car pools and public transport buddy groups. Let us know you are joining at [email protected].

3. Write a Letter to The Mayor

Mayor Johnson prides himself on “listening to the community.” But is he listening to Edgewater on this important issue? Or is he listening only to the outside density advocates?

TELL THE MAYOR THAT YOU LIVE IN EDGEWATER AND WHY YOU OPPOSE THE FORCED UPZONING OF BROADWAY

Send your email to:

Mayor Brandon Johnson: [email protected]

Zoning Committee Director Wellhausen: [email protected]

Alderwoman Maana-Hoppenworth: [email protected]

Copy ERRD at: [email protected]

Click on the hot link here to see a template email to send to the Mayor, the City Council Zoning Committee, and the Alderwoman.

4. Donate to ERRD’s Legal Defense Fund:

We all hope to avoid litigation due to the City’s improper and illegal forced upzoning of Broadway, but we must prepare for that possibility. Please consider joining your neighbors and Broadway businesses in making a donation to our locally-funded legal defense of our neighborhood and business district.

Your generous donations will be put to good work.

Zelle – [email protected]
Venmo – @ERRD1
Check – to “Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development” sent to 6236 N. Lakewood Ave, Chicago, IL 60660

Visit ERRD’s website for more information www.SaveEdgewater.com.