The Winnetka Park District’s plan to improve Centennial Beach does not call for washroom facilities, so visitors seeking a toilet will be directed to cross the shoreline, treading near or sometimes possibly into Lake Michigan so they can avoid the private beachfront property owned by billionaire Phoenix Suns co-owner Justin Ishbia, and walk to the restrooms at Elder Lane Beach.
Park District officials confirmed that plan during a district Board meeting Thursday evening.
“Right now we would propose that people would walk to, using the natural contours of the beach, walk across the property and access Elder to utilize the washrooms there,” Costa Kutulas, the district’s director of parks and maintenance, said.
Illinois’ public trust doctrine generally holds that the shoreline — the land and water below the ordinary high water mark, or OHWM — is held in public trust, Park District Executive Director Shannon Nazzal explained after the meeting. The high water mark can be identified with changes in vegetation, soil or by signs of human use versus natural conditions. Another indicator is “where the land transitions from aquatic to terrestrial.”
Kutulas said officials have discussed adding portable potties to Centennial Beach.
“I think we’ll look at the demand and what that looks like and if we have to supplement we’ll look at those options,” Kutulas said. “For right now we would suggest for people to use the bathrooms that are brick-and-mortar, if you will.”
A spokesperson for Ishbia said, “Justin Ishbia has no involvement in this park district decision to not provide rest rooms to beachgoers at Centennial Park. The advice the director of parks and maintenance offered to board members for traversing to Elder Beach is the same advice the district gives no matter who has owned that property.”
Park district officials agreed to a land swap deal with Ishbia in October 2020 which would have granted the village 261 Sheridan Road, the property between the two beaches, in exchange for a similarly-sized parcel on the southern edge of Centennial which he could add to his 3.7 acre property at 205 Sheridan Road.
That prompted Winnetka resident Robert Schriesheim to file suit against the Park District, arguing it shouldn’t be giving public land to private owners.
The Schriesheim lawsuit was back before a judge on Thursday but Shannon Q. Nazzal, the Park District’s executive director, said the court ordered another status hearing in the case for Oct. 7.
Also at the meeting Thursday, board members reviewed the latest details of the two separate projects, which stand at around $6.5 million for Centennial and around $6.8 million for Elder, not including contingency costs.
The plans call for the construction of boardwalks and breakwaters at both parks intended to retain sand for swimming beaches, one of which will be for dogs. The work will be ADA-compliant and will include native vegetation along walking pathways.
A significant expense will be the construction of two breakwaters, around $2.8 million for one at Centennial and $1.4 million for another at Elder Lane. Plans call for 6,400 tons of sand to be added to Centennial and 7,800 tons of sand to be added at Elder Lane, which will cost an estimated $568,000 in total.
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Kutulas said officials hope to submit documents to the village soon so the plans can be reviewed by the Zoning Board of Appeals at their Sept. 24 meeting.
The plans call for the improvements to be completed before summer 2026.
Nazzal said Friday, “I’m primarily focused on working with the Village of Winnetka on securing recommendations from the Zoning Board of Appeals, Plan Commission, Design and Review Board as well as the Village Council to work through the next steps so we can provide our entire community with a wonderful lakefront experience.”