Francis Parker School Revives Expansion Push

A prominent private school in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood is pressing ahead with a long-controversial expansion plan, setting up a showdown with neighbors who say the project threatens to chip away at the fabric of their community.

The Francis W. Parker School is advancing a proposal to demolish a residential building at 327-335 West Belden Avenue and replace it with a three-story academic facility connected to its existing campus, according to Block Club Chicago. The plan, years in the making, follows a failed attempt to acquire entire condo buildings nearby, as well as a more direct path to growth after piecemeal purchases of individual units.

The latest vision drew more than 200 people to a tense public meeting this week, where residents clashed with school officials and Alderman Timmy Knudsen over both the project and the process. Neighbors described the event, held inside the school, as tilted in Parker’s favor, with supporters filling the room early and critics left waiting hours to speak, according to the publication.

Since at least 2019, the school has sought to extend beyond Webster Avenue. Earlier efforts included more than $20 million in buyout offers for two condo buildings, both rejected by owners, according to the publication. After those deals fell apart, Parker began acquiring units individually, fueling accusations of a “hostile takeover” and prompting a now-dismissed lawsuit.

Now, the school is formalizing its ambitions. Plans call for a new academic building, expanded enrollment and upgrades, including lights for its soccer field. Parker is also offering concessions, such as converting a nearby property into seven affordable housing units, maintaining another property as residential for at least 30 years, and adding security and infrastructure improvements.

School leaders frame the project as mission-driven, citing space constraints and a desire to expand access through financial aid. But opponents argue the tradeoff is steep, according to the outlet, pointing to the loss of housing, erosion of the local tax base and a precedent of institutional encroachment into residential blocks.

The proposal now heads to the city’s planning and zoning commission, where Parker will make its formal case.

— Eric Weilbacher