Davis School Chicago brings Jewish prep education to Lakeshore East

Chicago’s skyline will soon welcome more than just another glass tower. Rising in the Lakeshore East neighborhood, the long-stalled school at 355 E. Wacker Dr. is getting new life as Davis School Chicago, a college preparatory Jewish high school slated to open in fall 2027.

The seven-story facility promises all the amenities of a world-class institution: a professional-grade, 500-seat theater; a two-story library; rooftop athletic facilities; labs and classrooms, all with sweeping views of Navy Pier and downtown Chicago. “We’ve got an incredible library, extraordinary views, a rooftop facility for outdoors, [and] an incredible gym,” Tony Davis, who, along with his wife Laura, provided the naming gift for the project, said in an interview with ABC7 News.

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The effort is being supported by more than $100 million in philanthropic support. Davis, co-founder of Linden Capital Partners, described the gift as “a culmination of 30 years of philanthropic efforts and work” within the Jewish community. For him, the school is about more than just bricks and mortar. “It really is a declaration of belief in our children, in Chicago and in a Jewish future that is rooted in strength, pride and purpose,” he said.

The building has had a winding history. It was initially developed by Dubai-based Global Education Management Systems (GEMS), construction stopped in 2019 due to financial troubles. After being surrendered to lienholders led by Power Construction in 2024, the unfinished property was acquired earlier this year for $17.5 million by a group of Chicago benefactors. Among them is J.R. Berger, president of Magellan Development Group and a founding board member of Davis School Chicago.

“The city of Chicago, with one of the largest Jewish populations in the U.S., deserves to have an academically excellent, pluralistic high school downtown,” Berger told Crain’s Chicago Business. “That was our guidepost from the beginning. And we had this building that was built to be a best-in-class high school. It was the perfect combination of an idea and an incredible facility.”

The project’s organizers say the demand is apparent. A survey of Chicago-area families garnered responses from 715 households, representing more than 1,500 students. It revealed a strong interest in a Jewish high school that combines academic excellence with Jewish values. That number aligns with the building’s original capacity, which was designed for up to 1,400 students.

For Berger, the school’s location offers more than just lake views. “Fortune 500 companies, incredible academic institutions at the collegiate level, fantastic nonprofits—we have the ability to engage with them all right at our doorstep,” he said.

The founding board comprises community leaders and education veterans, including former Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman, Ira Weiss of Hyde Park Venture Partners, and Carol Rubin, former associate director of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Together, they see Davis School as a statement of pride and progress at a time when antisemitism has been increasingly visible.

“It’s a time in the Jewish community where people are looking for something like this,” Davis said. “I want them to feel an enormous sense of pride in themselves… and the opportunity to be part of one of the absolute best educational facilities in the United States.”