Judge Dismisses Edgewater Locals’ Lawsuit on Broadway Zoning

A lawsuit filed by the Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development regarding two city ordinances that would upzone areas of the commercial corridor was dismissed by a Cook County judge.

Judge Neil Cohen made his ruling on Wednesday. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the lawsuit centered around an October 2025 plan for Broadway, and included 20 ordinances impacting zoning classifications in the corridor. The implemented classification allows for 80-foot-high building developments, a standard that the Edgewater Residents group said don’t fit in the existing neighborhood.

The group, along with 13 businesses and residents, sued the city of Chicago in January. The new zoning ordinance allows for uses “incompatible” with the current neighborhood’s framework, the complaint stated, citing developments like gas stations, large entertainment centers, recycling facilities and hotels that could now be added.

In the decision, Cohen said that the plaintiffs didn’t demonstrate exactly how they were deprived of constitutionally-protected interests, and stated that a zoning classification is not a protected interest. Patricia Sharkey, Edgewater Residents president, told the outlet they plan to appeal the decision, stating that “this is too important to the lives of Edgewater residents and businesses for this narrow view of citizens’ rights to be the last word.”

Part of the plaintiffs’ claims centered around an alleged lack of advance written notices about the upzoning hearings. They also alleged that a lottery system-style for selecting public speakers at a zoning committee meeting denied them the chance to have their voices heard.

Public comments from the Edgewater Residents state that they aren’t necessarily against new development in Edgewater, they just want more public input and local collaboration. While last year’s two-hour hearing featured mostly speakers opposed to the zoning changes, according to the outlet, the Chicago Plan Commission still endorsed the plan in a 12-1 vote.

— Hunter Cooke