New renderings, along with an opening date, have been revealed for the upcoming Davis School at 355 East Wacker Drive in Lakeshore East. Sitting between the Coast apartments and the St. Regis, the school is set to finally complete and operate the long-stalled former GEMS Academy high school building along the Chicago River.

Rendering of Davis School via Davis School
The Davis School will be a private Jewish high school spanning the entirety of the 13-story building. Late last year, we covered when construction resumed on the partially completed structure, whose construction paused back in 2019 when GEMS faced financial issues. Now, the team behind the Davis has begun enrolling its first class for the fall of 2027.

Rendering of Davis School via Davis School
Switching up the exterior color palette from blue to white, the completed Davis School will be able to accommodate over 1,200 students and feature a full-size theater, large indoor gym with a sport court, cafeteria, specialized labs, classrooms, a rooftop deck, vehicle parking, and more within the structure’s 154,000 square feet of space.

Rendering of Davis School via Davis School
The team behind the school purchased the property for $17.5 million last year, with an expected cost of around $20 million to complete the building. With over 700 families expressing interest in the school, early enrollment and campus tours are now available on its website, which heavily features AI imagery of Chicago.
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But will they have extracurriculars?
Why wouldn’t they?
A school this fancy…
Was a joke.
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