The Francis W. Parker School scored a victory in its yearslong battle against some Lincoln Park neighbors over its plan to build a middle school on West Belden Avenue.
The school, which has been in Lincoln Park for 125 years, received approval Thursday for its expansion from the Chicago Plan Commission. The school also sought approval for new athletic field lights and security cameras. The project is now expected to go before the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards next week, according to the school.
Parker School said the additional building is needed because it has reached capacity at its current property, 330 W. Webster Ave. The private school teaches pre-K through 12th grade and has 940 students, according to a spokesperson.
It’s proposing tearing down the 15-unit Belden by the Park condos at 335 W. Belden Ave. to build a five-story building, which would include a pedestrian overpass connecting the buildings. The new property would also have a multipurpose room and terraces, along with overflow classroom space.
Parker, which owns the condo building, pegs construction costs at $39 million.
The expansion would allow Parker to welcome 125 new students and add 30 permanent staff and faculty jobs to accommodate the growth, Principal Dan Frank told commissioners Thursday. The new students and faculty would gradually be added over the course of seven years.
“The building in our proposal is crucial to helping us achieve those goals because Parker is at capacity,” Frank said. “The only way to increase our student body and to add jobs is to expand our physical space.”
Parker said it’s been discussing the expansion with neighbors and nearby businesses since 2024, and the school has made concessions to address residents’ concerns.
The pedestrian overpass, accessible on the new building’s third and fourth floors, was narrowed and moved farther east. The school is also relocating rooftop mechanical equipment to the east side of the roof, away from neighbors on the building’s west side.
The building’s southwest corner was also cut back to create more natural light for neighboring townhomes, the development team said. And the nearby building at 317-25 W. Belden Ave., owned by Parker, will be kept as residential for the next 30 years, in response to neighborhood concerns over the loss of homes.
But neighbors still showed up in full force Thursday, with more than 40 people signed up to speak about the proposal.
Parents of Parker students, alumni and some board members spoke in favor of the proposal, citing the need to better position Parker for the future. But they were outnumbered by opponents of the project, many of whom were against the demolition of the 1909 vintage courtyard building at 335 W. Belden.
Preservation Chicago urged the commission to reject Parker’s proposal, citing the inclusion of Belden by the Park in the courtyard building landmark district the group has pursued for a number of years.
Some detractors pointed to the Better Plan, a proposal created by the group East Lincoln Park Neighbors that calls for a five-story building on Parker’s parking lot and a sixth-story aquatic center, to avoid demolishing residential buildings.
Michelle Hoppe Villegas, board member of the Mid-North Association, said its board opposes the expansion.
“We ask that you listen to the overwhelming public opposition to amending the current plan development agreement and ask that you reject the private institution … asking to encroach upon our dense and treasured historic neighborhood,” Hoppe Villegas said. “If allowed, Parker will consume and gut this historic community.”
East Lincoln Park Neighbors said in a statement that Thursday’s “vote reflects a rushed and inadequate review of a proposal with lasting consequences for the neighborhood. Chicago’s planning process should welcome genuine community engagement, require timely disclosure of key information, and ensure that public bodies fully scrutinize major developments before approving them. Today, it fell short on all counts.”
Anny Gary, member of Parker’s board of trustees, said the school’s proposal is the result of years of dialogue. She said the Better Plan isn’t viable and overestimates the amount of developable land in the parking lot by about 35% to 40%.
“This Proposal is the product of years of collaboration — with neighbors, community groups, local elected officials, and the Parker community — all working together to shape a plan that benefits not only Parker students, but our community and the city of Chicago as a whole,” a Parker spokesperson said in a statement. “From expanding access and financial assistance for Chicago students to bringing new affordable housing and enhanced safety measures to Lincoln Park, this plan reflects Parker’s 125-year commitment to being a responsible, engaged neighbor and civic partner.”
The school expects construction to start no sooner than 2028.
Separately, the Plan Commission approved the proposal for a 19-unit, mixed-income apartment building at 665 W. Sheridan Road and a Fulton Market high-rise, with more than 400 units.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s proposed hospital tower at 330 E. Erie St. also received its first city approval. The 1.2 million-square-foot tower will create more than 200 new patient beds and employ more than 1,000 workers when complete. It’s estimated to cost $1.5 billion and would be completed in 2031, if approved by the City Council.