Council okays pickleball club for former St. Cornelius Church, Dunkin’ next to Trinity Lutheran 

by BRIAN NADIG

The Chicago City Council at its May 22 meeting approved a rezoning plan to build a Dunkin’ Donuts with a drive-through facility next to an existing church and a proposal to convert a former church into a private pickleball club in the Jefferson Park-Forest Glen area.

The proposed development site of the Dunkin’ at 5137 N. Elston Ave. is a landscaped parcel located immediately to the west of the parking lot for the Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church, 5106 N. LaCrosse Ave. and behind the Foster-Elston Auto Repair, 5157 N. Elston Ave., which would not be part of the development. The church is selling the lot, which also fronts Foster Avenue.

A city alley runs through a portion of the 33,386-square-foot-lot, but the developer has made plans with the city to have the alley vacated, according to 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent’s office. 

Plans for the project were presented at a meeting of the Forest Glen Community Club last summer, and overall they were well received.

The development would include a one-story, 4,678-square-foot building that would house the Dunkin’ and a second tenant. There also would be about 25 parking spaces.

Initial plans had called for two separate buildings on the site, but only one structure is now planned.

Project officials have said that the nearby Dunkin’ at 5050 N. Cicero Ave. would remain because it would continue to cater to customers traveling on Cicero. They also have said that the Baskin-Robbins at the Cicero location could relocate to the new larger Dunkin’ on Elston.

The property had been zoned for single-family homes and two-flats, but the council voted to rezone the parcel to B1-1, which allows for restaurants along with retail and office uses. The project also is contingent on the issuance of a special use for the drive-through from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Also in the area, the former Saint Cornelius Church at 5430 W. Foster Ave. was rezoned from RS-3 to B2-1 to allow for the conversion of the sanctuary into two pickleball courts. The courts would be intended for private use by a group of about 20 to 30 friends who are investing in the project. 

The former church parking lot at 5410-12 also was rezoned to B2-1 and would be used as a parking lot for the private club. It has 32 spaces.

The group acquired the church in March. Alderman James Gardiner (45th) has voiced support for the project, in part because it would preserve the exterior of the church.

The former Saint Cornelius School, 5252 N. Long Ave., is now the Catalpa Early Learning Center, which is operated the Chicago Public Schools.

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