A familiar stretch of Webster Avenue near DePaul University could be getting a substantial makeover. A five-story mixed-use development is proposed for 950 W. Webster Avenue, the longtime home of McGee’s Tavern & Grille, and neighbors will have a chance to weigh in at a public meeting on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
The proposal calls for replacing the existing two-story building with a roughly 65-foot-tall brick structure, with storefronts along Webster Avenue and residential floors above. The architectural rendering shows a red-brick facade, large windows and ground-floor commercial space—a markedly different look for a property closely associated with DePaul nightlife for decades.
According to project information circulated ahead of the meeting, the development would include 20 apartments, including four affordable units, approximately 2,200 square feet of commercial space, eight vehicle parking spaces and 20 bicycle spaces. Those figures are part of the proposal and could change during the review process.
For generations of DePaul students and Lincoln Park residents, McGee’s was more than another sports bar. Open since the late 1980s, it became a popular neighborhood gathering place for college games, weekend crowds and alumni returning to campus. Its closure marked the end of a long-running chapter on Webster Avenue.
The property has a residential history, too. A 2019 commercial listing described the two-story building as a mixed-use investment property with eight apartments in addition to commercial space. That listing identified the property’s zoning as B1-2, which is also the classification cited in the current meeting notice.
To proceed with the new plan, the property is seeking a zoning change from B1-2 to B3-3. That request would accommodate a larger residential building than current zoning permits. The meeting notice states that the proposed height is 65 feet, measured under the city’s zoning rules. The project has not received final approval.
The proposal also raises questions familiar to many North Side redevelopment discussions: how a larger building will fit into the existing streetscape, whether the small parking supply is appropriate so close to public transit, and what kinds of businesses might eventually occupy the ground-floor retail space. No commercial tenants, construction start date or completion date have been announced in the materials reviewed.
Residents can learn more at a public meeting Thursday, November 5, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at DePaul University’s McGowan South Building, Room 108, 1110 W. Belden Avenue, between Clifton and Seminary avenues. Alderman Timmy Knudsen’s 43rd Ward office is hosting the meeting, and the Sheffield Neighborhood Association is encouraging neighbors to attend, ask questions and share feedback.
The meeting is in person only; no online participation option is available.
For longtime McGee’s regulars, the rendering is a striking preview of what could replace a neighborhood institution. Whether the proposal moves forward in its current form will depend on the zoning review and the process that follows.