The Project scope includes (the letter corresponds with the layout plan below):

• ADA accessible sidewalk connection from the roadway to the beach (D)
• ADA accessible boardwalk along the beach front (H)
• Resurfacing and reconfiguration of the north parking lot for improved vehicular and boat access (A)
• Native landscaping (I)
• Signage
• Site Lighting
• Alternate Bid: Pergola at beach front

The Park District hired Hitchcock Design Group (HDG) to take the concept plan through to implementation.

The layout plan below builds on the approved concept plan and is based on a survey of existing conditions, dimensions, and utilities. The layout plan will be shared with the Park Board at a public meeting on October 4, 2023. HDG will then complete the construction documents for the project to be bid out this fall.

Phase 1

This phase is funded through the OSLAD grant award and Park District capital budget. (Highlighted in the red dotted line in illustration below)

Highlights of the plan include:

A: Reconfigured parking lot for improved circulation, landscaping, and viewing of the Lake.
D: New concrete sidewalk for easier beach access for pedestrians walking to the beach.
H: New accessible boardwalk along the beach, improving access to the beach and circulation around Park Avenue Boating Facility.
G: Seating along the boardwalk.

Phase 2:

This phase is unfunded. These elements will be designed and bid as alternates to Phase 1, and if funding is available, Phase 2 will be implemented. (Highlighted in the black dotted line in illustration below)

Highlights of the plan include:

A: The fenced boat parking will not be resurfaced as part of this project but has been identified as a future need.
B: Plaza with pergola, tables, and chairs to enhance patron experience as the beach and provide space for gathering and passive use.

Please note: Park Ave construction begins in July. See new parking configurations.

Districtwide planning efforts, including the Park Avenue Site Master Plan, Beach Management Plan, and the Lakefront Master Plan, support the Park Avenue Access Improvement Plan  These plans were enhanced by engagement with the community and patrons of the Park Avenue Boating Facility.

In 2019 the Park District conducted a GreenPrint 2024 Review and Amendment, which expressed the need for a multi-purpose facility as well as the need to address West Ridge Center to provide flexible programming space to better serve the community with youth and adult programming, and an opportunity for a gymnastics studio.   

The Park District started the design process for a new community center at West Ridge Park to replace the existing West Ridge Center in 2022. The plan to build new on the southeast section of West Ridge Park is supported by a preliminary planning assessment completed in 2023.

This year, the Park District of Highland Park was awarded $1.4 million through the Park and Recreational Facilities Construction (PARC) grant program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to support elements this project including a gymnastics gym, multi-functional dance room, and youth enrichment space. The PARC grant program provides funding for park and recreation facility construction projects.

• new tot lot and elementary playground
• new full-size basketball court
• new picnic/shade shelter
• diamond field improvements
• soccer field improvements
• walking path improvements and reconfiguration
• site furniture replacement
• related site work and landscaping

Work to repair failed slopes and improve slope stability at Millard Park is anticipated to begin late summer 2022. During this time, portions of the bluff path and park will remain blocked off due to erosion on the bluff and possible unstable conditions. Due to the nature of construction, the park roadway access and parking may be temporarily closed at times. Please follow detour signs for available paths through the park.

Millard Park and Beach is one of four lakefront properties owned by the Park District and is maintained as a passive natural area with minimal recreation amenities. Access through the park begins along a rustic path that runs across the western portion and middle of the park, passing both through and around a historic garden. Another trail runs along the east edge of the park, along the bluff. All paths unite to a single route along the northern half and lead to a gazebo structure. Overall, the park encompasses about 1,300 linear feet of bluff face ranging in height from 20 to 75 feet above the lake. The beach divides into four sections by sheet pile walls extending 70 to 150 feet long into Lake Michigan.

Over the past few years, storm and wave damage exacerbated by high lake levels have led to slope failures at the toe and top of the bluff. Based on a recommendation from the 2021 Beach Management Plan completed by SmithGroup, staff received Board direction to select a firm to provide a geotechnical study of the bluff and recommendations for future treatment. V3 Companies conducted a Slope Stability Analysis and recommended strategies for ensuring safety and long-term preservation of the bluff in keeping with its natural character and use as a passive park and beach. That report was delivered in July 2021 and presented to the Park Board of Commissioners on August 24, 2021. On September 30, 2021, staff received direction to develop a bid document for recommended remediation. This work may include:

• Tree removal and management to address hazardous leaning/undermined trees to prevent further damage to the bluff face
• Restoration of slope grades in targeted areas of the bluff where failure has occurred, plus restoration of those areas with native vegetation
• Relocation of the existing path and creation of a buffer of native plantings to protect the bluff edge

Site work began in Fall 2022.