Plans are shifting once again for the Elder and Centennial beach project in Winnetka with the latest design changes driven by cost considerations and the funding available to the Park District.
Previous estimates placed the entire project, all three phases with hoped-for design elements, at roughly $21.5 million, but officials said that amount includes all the bells and whistles. Estimates for the first phase of previous designs put the cost around $14 million.
Park District officials tasked Matt Wright, founder of Red Barn Design & Engineering and one of several firms working on the project, with finding ways to reduce the cost of the existing plan while retaining the core values of the project — a practice officials described as value engineering.
The Park District currently has around $10.5 million budgeted for the project and the price of the updated Phase One plan would cost, with safety net funding built in, $10.3 million with an additional $2.9 million for the village-owned stormwater project. It’s still unknown as to how the stormwater replacement will be handled, as the project sits on Park District land but is owned by the village.
Director of Parks and Maintenance Costa Kutulas presented the new design to the board and explained it removes a previously proposed access road in an effort to use the existing road and fix it up post-construction to save funds. A small round breakwater in Lake Michigan has been added at the center of Centennial where the northern boundary of the fenced in dog beach would sit. A southern breakwater at Elder will be placed along existing sheet piling near the property line between Park District property and resident Justin Ishbia’s property at 261 Sheridan Road.
If the Park District ever acquires the property at 261 Sheridan (the contract for the land swap it is included in was signed in Oct. 2020 but hasn’t been completed), the boardwalk and center breakwater could be expanded.
To preserve views, a boardwalk is set several feet above the breakwaters, at their highest 586 feet, and sand. There are plans to put back a pathway to provide ADA access down to boardwalk level which could be built out and improved upon in future phases as more funding becomes available.
“We are using our existing infrastructure that has withstood the high lake levels and building upon that,” Kutulas said. “I think that the project team and all parties that have been involved on this did a great job to take a harder look and a deeper dive on all the elements of the project to try to bring this back to what is not only appropriate but well within the means of what the Park District can do.”
If approved by the board, Kutulas said construction could begin early next year.
Outgoing commissioner David Seaman said there are still a few adjustments he would make to the plan. Kutulas said the new plan is just a design concept to move things in the right direction.
“We’ve got 10.5 million bucks, assuming we don’t dump more money into the golf course. That’s it and that’s always been it,” Seaman said. “I think it’s another dramatic change in this nearly one-year period since withdrawing the last permit.”
Permits had previously been submitted to regulatory bodies last year but were pulled from consideration in a close 3-2 vote during the June 9, 2022 meeting.
Board President Warren James said it all comes down to basic infrastructure and building upon what the Park District already has.
“We are listening to the community. We are lowering the stone,” James said. “In the next couple weeks you’ll see phase two, phase three. Those are aspirational, but we can’t not address what is the potential in the future but we do need to address the immediate concerns.”
The Park District is planning to open negotiations with the village regarding the stormwater project included in the Elder Beach rebuild. The Park Board chose Commissioner Cynthia Rapp alongside James to represent the Park District in negotiations.
Winnetka Village President Chris Rintz spoke about the issue prior to the May 2 Village Council meeting.
“The Winnetka Park District seems very comfortable spreading falsehoods throughout the community in an effort to support their beachfront improvements at Elder and Centennial,” Rintz said. “While surprising, it is a shame they have elected to pursue this conversation in this manner.”
He said he planned to make a statement about the matter at the May 16 Village Council meeting.