DePaul is postponing demolition of Lincoln Park townhomes in their scheme to make a new athletic facility, despite opposition from some community groups. Even with the support of Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd), the city is still requiring additional measures before demolition can begin. 

In an email from the Office of the President on Feb. 20, DePaul announced that demolition for the new athletic facility, originally set to begin in summer 2025, would be pushed back a year to begin “no earlier than summer 2026, and be completed by fall 2027.” 

In September, Knudsen announced his official support for the project after attending two town hall events hosted by DePaul and participating in negotiations to develop the project. 

“ DePaul throughout the process showed me that they were willing to make impactful change,” Knudsen said. “Some of them aren’t as obvious on the face. I mean, they slightly reduced the size of the building, which was important for us for sidewalk space.” 

Knudsen said he needed to weigh all sides — community groups in support and opposing — to make the final decision. He believes the pros outweigh the cons.

“We have the support of Wrightwood Neighbors, but not of  the Sheffield Neighborhood Association, and DePaul University is kind of split between the two. I think that’s where we weigh the balance of the negotiation,” Knudsen said. 

Alongside Sheffield Neighborhood Association, Preservation Chicago also disagrees with the demolition.

“This is a much different project than it started, but when it comes down to it, me being the principal in the community, I’ve got to make a call,” Knudsen said.

Knudsen believes that the facility will bring a more vibrant community and be more useful to students and children in Lincoln Park. DePaul committed to opening the doors for children’s  programming when the facility is not in use with the student athletes, Knudsen said. 

Another concern is preserving Chicago’s historic buildings, but Knudsen says he is confident that DePaul’s plan will keep the historic preservation.

Despite pushback on demolition, student housing agreements for students will be available for the Sheffield Avenue properties in the 2025-26 school year. 

 ”Right now they have a surplus of student housing on campus. So long as they have a surplus of units available on campus. We’re okay,” said Knudsen. 

On Nov. 16, 2023, associate vice president for community & government relations at DePaul University Peter Coffey, released notes after a community meeting for the athletic facility.

The opposition stems from their concerns about the preservation of the buildings that would be demolished to make room for the project. However, DePaul owns those buildings, and they are in use for administrative purposes and student housing.

In the 1980s, a color-coded ranked system was used to identify historic and architectural significance to buildings related to the age, level of possible significance and degree of external physical integrity. 

“All of the buildings are ‘contributing’ structures in the Sheffield National Register Historic District while two of the historic houses, 2310 and 2316 N. Sheffield, are rated ‘orange’ in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS), deeming them important to the City of Chicago and the community in which they are located,” Neighborhood Group, Preservation Chicago said. 

“While we agree that these buildings are beautiful, DePaul University’s consultants did not find any evidence of landmark potential,” DePaul said in a Nov. 16 statement.

Brian Comer, president of Sheffield Neighborhood Association believes that the architecture in Lincoln Park does not exist anywhere else.  

“ Well, let’s fast forward 40 years. Would an orange rated building in 1984 still be an orange rated building in 2025? Or would it be a red building based upon the lack of inventory of that style of architecture?” Comer said.

Sheffield Neighborhood Association has called their growth “symbiotic with DePaul,” with their documents and communication dating back all the way to 1958. 

“ DePaul is our closest friend,” Comer said. “We’ve always valued that relationship, but friends at times need to speak the truth to other friends, right? And if you can’t speak truth to your friends, then how close is that relationship?” 

Location and space of the facility are Sheffield Neighborhood Association’s top concern. 

“ We as a community don’t disagree with their need for additional facilities. We actually encourage that. It’s just the placement of it,” Comer said. “We think putting it on a corner or a strip of street that is in our neighborhood, you’re stripping away pieces of the neighborhood.”

Community agreements have always been a part of the relationship between DePaul, Sheffield Neighbors, Wrightwood Neighbors and Lincoln Central. For the first time in almost 50 years, DePaul has refused to sign a community agreement with Sheffield Neighbors. According to the association, Knudsen did not enforce it. 

“ We can only talk and communicate with folks that are willing to sit down and have a genuine conversation, which DePaul has always had and they were very upfront with their plans,” Comer said. 

Courtney Day, associate athletics director for communications and digital strategy, said in a statement to The DePaulia that DePaul concluded that a lack of funding in DePaul Athletics impeded on the program’s success after an 18-month-long study.

“Among the findings, DePaul currently stands as one of only two Big East conference programs without a dedicated basketball practice facility,” Day said. “The investment in a practice facility is strategically being prioritized now to foster long-term financial health for the entire university.”

While the Lincoln Park’s community’s’ opinions are still divided, student council officials, community members and DePaul University continue to push for demolition through the setbacks.

“ It brings (the athletic facility) what I believe a beautiful building that adapts in a historic district. It’s a building that the brick will stand the test of design time. It’s not too modern. We were very specific about that,” Knudsen said. 

Related Stories:

• DePaul’s new basketball practice facility is delayed one year
• DePaul receives $2.5 million donation for new basketball facility
• After Knudsen OK, new basketball practice facility one step closer

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