Winnetka Park District Waterfront 2030 Plan Timeline

In 2016, after more than year of hard work by a broad cross-section of residents and lakefront experts, the Winnetka Park District formally adopted the Winnetka Waterfront 2030 plan, aka The Lakefront Master Plan

The plan has several phases, as identified above in the graphic attached.

Phases 1-3 have been accomplished, for Tower, Lloyd, and Maple Beaches.
Phase 4, for Elder and Centennial beaches, calls for conjoining the two beaches to make for one long beachfront with appropriate climate reinforcement.

As part of Phase 4, the Winnetka Park District’s board of commissioners and staff negotiated a property exchange agreement with a private family to allow the two parks and beaches to be combined into one.

The transaction would result in the Park District exchanging the southernmost end of Centennial Park/Beach for the lakefront property between Elder Lane Park/Beach and Centennial Park/Beach.

The parcel of property the Park District is acquiring is the same width at Sheridan Road and the same width at the beachfront as the parcel of property the Park District is conveying.

Every step was in accordance with Illinois Statutes and the Winnetka Park District Board unanimously approved the exchange agreement in October 2020.

To many, it was an equitable solution that would unlock community value for all residents. The exchange agreement remains on hold, due to continuing litigation.

That said, this progress has been delayed since June 2022, when the Winnetka Park District Board withdrew the pending permit applications due to a 3-2 vote, with two long-serving commissioners unable to attend the meeting and vote.

On October 27, 2022, the Park District voted to formally amend the Master Plan with 9 motions; two were passed unanimously:

Maintain a dog beach at the south end of Centennial Park
Reaffirm the dedication to ADA Access to Centennial Park and Beach

Elder Lane beach remains closed due to damage to existing infrastructure, creating unsafe conditions.

The Park District, while wishing to reopen the beaches for the community, has a series of required permits awaiting approval from the Village of Winnetka and other regulatory agencies.

The most current video presentation -- from a Winnetka Park District Board Presentation on October 24, 2024 -- on the status of the beaches can be found here.

As a final note regarding the Park District's masterplan, Our Town Winnetka seeks to provide clarity to the approved restricted donation agreement between The Winnetka Park District and a private family that is associated with the exchange agreement.

Here are the facts:

The Park District Approved the donation agreement on January 18, 2024 in a 4-3 vote
The $3m donation is earmarked several specified elements of the planned improvements, including:
A dog beach and associated fencing
A pedestrian bypass
An ADA-accessible pier and breakwater

Underlying the terms is a mutual agreement to maintain all elements for a term of 50 years, which is a benefit to the community.

Winnetka Park District Waterfront 2030 Plan Timeline

﻿In 2016, after more than year of hard work by a broad cross-section of residents and lakefront experts, the Winnetka Park District formally adopted the Winnetka Waterfront 2030 plan, aka The Lakefront Master Plan

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In 2016, after more than year of hard work by a broad cross-section of residents and lakefront experts, the Winnetka Park District formally adopted the Winnetka Waterfront 2030 plan, aka The Lakefront Master Plan