Edgewater residents press park district to buy Emanuel land

A group of Edgewater residents wants the Chicago Park District to purchase the Emanuel Congregation’s lakefront property at 5959 N. Sheridan Road, arguing it should become public park space. The push comes as Emanuel and its developer, Fern Hill, advance a red

For a group of Edgewater residents, the disagreement isn’t just about what could be built on a sliver of lakefront. It’s about what the city owes the public.

At the center of the fight is a property at 5959 N. Sheridan Road. described as what many residents consider the largest and only parcel of developable lakefront land left in the North Side neighborhood. Emanuel Congregation plans to redevelop the site into retail, residences, and a new synagogue with developer Fern Hill.

Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development issued its call last week. urging the Chicago Park District to acquire the land and “complete the lakefront park system.” In a news release. the group said it opposes Emanuel’s project in its latest form. which calls for three lakefront towers. with the tallest rising 23 stories.

ERRD president Patricia Sharkey said it wasn’t the group’s role to dictate what Emanuel does with its property, but she pressed for something she believes residents and the congregation should consider: an alternative use of the parcel.

“All we’re saying is we would like to see that conversation happen, and we believe the city and the park district have a duty to actually acquire these kinds of properties when they become available,” Sharkey said.

The group has asked Emanuel Congregation, the park district, and the office of Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th) to hold meetings. Manaa-Hoppenworth’s office said it has been gathering feedback from residents.

Emanuel Congregation and the park district did not respond to a request for comment. Nick Anderson, founder and president of Fern Hill, declined to comment.

Emanuel announced last year that it would build a new synagogue. The congregation’s existing building sits on a site tied to a long-ago promise: when the synagogue was built in 1954. DuSable Lake Shore Drive was expected to be extended north to reach some of Chicago’s suburbs. but the extension never materialized.

Andrew Degenholtz, co-president of Emanuel’s executive committee, told residents at a 48th Ward development meeting last week that the congregation’s numbers have shrunk over time. Emanuel’s membership includes about 250 households, and it uses only about half of its Edgewater building.

Degenholtz said the synagogue was built when Emanuel had about 1,000 households in its membership, and he framed the redevelopment as a financial reality.

“We called Edgewater our home for more than 70 years. and we hope to continue doing that for another 70 years. ” Degenholtz said. “We want to continue to thrive as good neighbors here, but our building is expensive and difficult to maintain. … Things have really changed dramatically since we built this building.”.

He said the congregation’s goal is to add as much inclusive housing as possible in the project. Fern Hill and architecture firm Eckenhoff Saunders said they expect to share a third design proposal with congregants. and that it would include a better estimated unit count and housing type than earlier versions.

At an April meeting for the development. one community member asked whether the proposed redevelopment would go against the city’s Lakefront Protection Ordinance. Anderson said in that meeting that the project’s 25-foot setback from the lake makes it compliant with the ordinance. which aims to protect the lakefront and steward responsible development. The land, Anderson said, is also located in land designated as the “private zone” under the ordinance.

Sharkey and ERRD, however, point to a part of the ordinance that speaks directly to land acquisition. The ordinance says an appropriate public agency—such as the park district—should “acquire such properties or rights as may be necessary and desirable” along the lakefront. ERRD argues that Emanuel’s land falls under that purview.

“We know how it’s supposed to be done,” Sharkey said. “When the lakefront protection ordinance was passed, there was a recognition that the park system wasn’t complete.”

The dispute over Emanuel’s property is unfolding while the group is already in court against the city over a different development. Meanwhile, ERRD sued the city in January after a hotly contested development framework for Broadway was approved in October. That framework includes more than 20 ordinances affecting what could be built along a 1.5-mile stretch of Broadway and hundreds of properties.

In its complaint, the new zoning classification allows for buildings up to 80 feet tall and “a series of uses that are incompatible with the existing neighborhood,” including gas stations, hotels, large entertainment venues, recycling facilities, and crematoriums.

The city filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in March. Oral arguments on the motion were heard Thursday, and Circuit Judge Neil Cohen—who is presiding over the case—is expected to issue an opinion in July.

The juxtaposition is hard to miss: even as residents challenge how the city is handling broader development rules, they are also trying to redirect what they see as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to preserve lakefront space for the public.

In Edgewater, the question isn’t just whether Emanuel can redevelop its land. It’s whether Chicago can be asked to step in—and whether the lakefront protections residents thought they were promised will translate into action when a coveted parcel becomes available.

Edgewater Chicago Park District Emanuel Congregation Fern Hill Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth Lakefront Protection Ordinance Broadway development lawsuit Neil Cohen DuSable Lake Shore Drive