Revised development scheme pitched for Emanuel Congregation site

Chicago developer Fern Hill recently presented revised plans for a mixed-use development scheme at the site of Emanuel Congregation at 5959 N. Sheridan. Located along N. Sheridan Rd facing the lakefront, the project would redevelop the synagogue’s lakefront site as well as the vacant site on the west side of Sheridan Rd at 5950 N. Sheridan. The blue house to the north of the congregation’s site has now been acquired and its property has been incorporated into the development plan.

After considering 16 different massing options, Fern Hill proposed a 12-story midrise courtyard building on the main lakefront site and a five-story building on the inland site on the west side of N. Sheridan Rd. The project was envisioned to have approximately 500 residential units and roughly 150 parking spaces. 

Designed by Eckenhoff Saunders, the revised plan will pivot from one, large courtyard building to three separate buildings of varying heights. The three towers will include a 23-story building along N. Sheridan Rd, an 11-story building running east/west along the north side of the property, and a 13-story building oriented north/south along the lake. The organization of the towers makes the tower closest to the northern neighboring building the shortest of the three buildings. By pushing the north and east towers down to preserve views, the west tower along N. Sheridan Rd grows in height. 

On the ground floor, the revised plan removes the curb cut on N. Sheridan Rd and all vehicular traffic will access the site from W. Thorndale Ave. The project’s motor court has been expanded and moved down to the ground floor to improve accessibility and walkability. A new pedestrian corridor has been carved through the ground floor of the site to provide a connection through the site from N. Sheridan Rd towards the lake, providing access to the residential building lobbies and the synagogue. A retail space overlooks outdoor space carved into the ground floor at the southwest corner of the site, allowing the corner to breathe and provide more visibility.

To allow for the more open, accessible ground floor, the project’s parking has been consolidated into structured parking located within the northern portion of the site. Originally planned to have 150 spaces, the new plan provides approximately 185 parking spaces, at least 40 of which will be dedicated to the Emanuel Congregation.

As part of the proposal, the new space for Emanuel Congregation gets a more independent home, remaining at the southeast corner of the site overlooking Lake Michigan, but having the residential building pushed north so the synagogue becomes more of an independent architectural element without anything rising on top of it. 

In the initial concept, the social halls and the sanctuary were oriented north/south, but the revised concept rotates the spaces, so the sanctuary stays at the corner, and the social halls are located west of it. This allows the social halls to open up to the sanctuary in a way that can provide flexibility for providing more space on high holidays and still have the space oriented towards the east.  

In this revised scheme, the five-story development on the property at 5950 N. Sheridan will remain largely the same, but the building is being pushed back on the site to align with the setback from Sheridan Rd of the Colvin House. The building will have classrooms and a social hall space on the ground floor that will serve as the temporary home of the Emanuel Congregation while the lakefront site is being developed. The upper four floors will have 56 residential units with a ground floor retail component. 

As the project moves forward, Fern Hill is continuing to develop the proposal in conversation with both the synagogue and the city. The plan would require a rezoning from RS-1 and RM-5.5 to a unified B3-5 with a Planned Development designation. If approved by the alderman, the development would proceed to seek formal city approvals from the Chicago Plan Commission, Committee on Zoning, and City Council. 

While the development scheme is not finalized, if it were to move forward as is, the revised plan would allow for the construction of the new synagogue to be implemented as the first phase of the project. A timeline for the other components of the plan has not been established.