Phase 2 of the Breakwater Project is construction of ancillary items that support safe use of the boat ramp including an ADA accessible floating dock, safety bollards and lighting. After close to a year of delays from the State of Illinois the Park District has been awarded a Boat Access Area Development Grant through IDNR for $200,000 toward the project. The delay in receiving the grant has delayed purchase of the ancillary items.

Park Avenue Boating Facility is on schedule to open Memorial Day Weekend. If any ancillary items, such as the bollards, are not delivered and installed by Memorial Day weekend, the Park District will provide temporary measures to ensure safety for boat launching.

About the Project

High lake levels accompanied by intense storms over the past few years caused damage to the breakwater wall/barge and concrete ramp at Park Avenue Boating Beach. These extreme weather conditions have affected communities all along the Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline.

At the April 27 meeting, the Park Board approved construction of Phase 1 of the Park Avenue Breakwater Project in the amount of $2,221,890. The base scope of this project includes removal of the existing barge breakwater and boat ramp, stockpiling and salvaging existing breakwater fill and armor stone, construction of a new steel sheet pile breakwater with a concrete crown wall and construction of a new concrete boat launch. Funding for the project includes $2,000,000 from the Park District’s capital fund and $400,000 from the Parks Foundation of Highland Park, made possible from community donations

For more information on this project and to stay up-to-date on progress visit the Park Avenue Boating Facility Breakwater & Boat Launch Project Page.