Edgewater Redevelopment Plan Expands With Taller Towers and More Housing

• Fern Hill revealed updated plans for the redevelopment of the Emmanuel Congregation site at 5959 North Sheridan Road in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood.
• The revised proposal replaces the original large podium design with multiple buildings, expanded green space, and improved pedestrian access to the lakefront.
• The project’s density has increased significantly, with zoning potentially allowing up to 600 residential units.

What the New Edgewater Redevelopment Plan Changes

Updated plans have surfaced for the large mixed-use redevelopment planned at 5959 North Sheridan Road in Edgewater, where local developer Fern Hill is working with architecture firm Eckenhoff Saunders on a multi-building residential project tied to the Emmanuel Congregation property. The development spans two separate sites near the lakefront. One includes the current synagogue property east of Sheridan Road, while the second is a vacant parcel located to the west.

Earlier versions of the proposal featured a massive U-shaped 12-story structure sitting on top of a large parking podium. That concept drew feedback during multiple community meetings, leading the development team to revisit the project’s design and scale. The latest proposal dramatically changes the layout by breaking the project into several smaller buildings while improving the connection between Sheridan Road and the lakefront.

What the Revised Design Includes

The western parcel will still temporarily house the congregation while construction moves forward on the main site. Afterward, that building would be expanded into a permanent five-story residential structure set farther back from the street. The eastern portion of the project now includes three separate buildings instead of one large structure. One of the biggest changes is the removal of the site-wide parking podium that dominated the original proposal.

In its place, developers shifted parking into a smaller multi-story podium positioned on the northern edge of the property. That redesign opens up more ground-level green space and creates a pedestrian pathway leading directly from Sheridan Road toward the lakefront.

The tallest building in the updated proposal would rise 23 stories and feature an active ground-floor design without a parking podium. Additional structures include an 11-story building with residential units above parking and a 13-story building connected to the new congregation space. The redesign appears aimed at making the development feel less bulky while creating a more neighborhood-friendly streetscape.

What the Increased Density Means for Edgewater

The revised proposal also increases the project’s overall density. The original concept called for just over 400 residential units, but the updated version pushes the development closer to the site’s zoning capacity of roughly 600 units. Developers have not yet released an exact unit count. That increase reflects a broader trend across Chicago where developers are trying to maximize housing density near transit corridors and lakefront neighborhoods despite higher construction and financing costs.

For Edgewater, the project could become one of the area’s larger residential redevelopments in recent years, potentially bringing hundreds of new residents to a high-demand lakefront corridor. At the same time, the proposal will likely continue facing community scrutiny as neighbors evaluate the project’s scale, traffic impact, and overall fit within the surrounding area. Fern Hill is expected to hold additional community meetings as the design process continues, and more revisions could still follow before final approvals are secured.