Francis W. Parker School Wins Approval for $39M Expansion in Lincoln Park

• Francis W. Parker School received Chicago Plan Commission approval for a $39 million, five-story academic building at 335 W. Belden Ave., Chicago, IL 60614.
• The project will replace a 15-unit residential building with approximately 27 classrooms, vocational rooms, a shop space, an all-purpose room and additional student spaces, adding capacity for about 125 students and 30 faculty.
• Construction is not expected to begin until 2028, while the school has committed to additional neighborhood investments, including $25,000 annually for 20 years to two nearby public schools and a $2 million affordable-housing contribution.

What Parker School Is Building

Francis W. Parker School is moving forward with a major expansion of its Lincoln Park campus at 327-335 W. Belden Avenue, directly behind its existing facility at 330 W. Webster Avenue. The Chicago Plan Commission approved the proposal as part of a broader zoning and campus expansion plan. The proposed building will rise five stories and use red brick and architectural detailing intended to reflect the surrounding residential streetscape. Parker's plans call for the new facility to connect to the existing campus through a two-story pedestrian skybridge over the rear alley.

 

 

What The $39M Expansion Adds

The new academic building is designed around additional educational and community space rather than residential or commercial use. Plans include 27 classrooms, four vocational rooms, a hands-on shop, large all-purpose room, offices, terraces and interior reading areas. The school expects the expansion to accommodate approximately 125 additional students and 30 faculty members, addressing enrollment and space constraints at the existing campus. Parker is also planning upgrades to the lighting and fencing around its existing athletic field. The proposed lighting system is intended to achieve DarkSky certification, according to the school's project materials.

 

 

What Happens To The Existing Housing

The expansion requires demolition of the existing 15-unit residential building at 327-335 W. Belden Avenue, which has become a major point of neighborhood opposition. Parker says it notified tenants in 2025 that the property could eventually be converted to educational use and has committed to honoring existing leases and providing notice of non-renewals. The school also says the average rent at the property in 2026 was more than $5,000 per month. At the same time, Parker has committed to keeping another school-owned residential property at 317-325 W. Belden Avenue as multifamily housing for 30 years.

 

 

What The Project Means For Lincoln Park

The expansion comes after several iterations of Parker's long-running campus plans. Earlier versions considered preserving the existing building, while the current proposal moves forward with demolition and reconstruction. Parker has also pledged $25,000 per year for 20 years to Lincoln Park High School and Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, along with a $2 million affordable-housing contribution tied to the broader neighborhood improvement plan. For Lincoln Park's real estate market, the project highlights the pressure that institutional users can place on residential land in established neighborhoods. Parker's expansion will remove 15 existing homes while adding significant educational space and preserving another school-owned residential building under a long-term commitment. With groundbreaking planned for 2028, the project still has additional steps ahead before construction begins.