Crews are on site today to make adjustments to the poured-in-place surfacing.
The tot lot will be closed for the day and will reopen tomorrow morning.
Following this work on the surfacing, the finishing touches will be complete, and the project will be officially closed out.
Thank you for your patience!
Crews were on site Saturday to touch up a few sections of the asphalt paths.
Crews are expected to be on site tomorrow to repair a small section of curb in the elementary play area.
The playground will remain open when work occurs, and the section of curb will be taped off.
We are excited to announce that the construction fence is scheduled to come down tomorrow, Friday, July 11, and the park will officially be open for play!
Come check out the new tot lot equipment, new loop path system, and the new picnic/gathering area.
Crews will be periodically on site completing a few finishing touches over the summer, a few of which may require temporary partial closing of a specific area, but the park will remain open when work occurs.
Check back here for updates on when work will occur.
The new fence behind the elementary playground has been installed.
Playground safety signs have been installed, the remaining asphalt path work is expected to be completed today, and the retaining walls have been installed. 
This week, the remainder of the site restoration work will be completed and site inspections will take place to prepare for the construction fence to be removed.
The Park is expected to open the week of July 14, 2025.
Thank you for your patience during construction at Port Clinton Park – the project has taken much longer than anticipated due to a variety of challenges that have come up along the way.
That said, the end is in sight and construction is nearing completion!
What’s left? – installation of remaining path section, site restoration work, and playground safety inspections.
The Park District is working hard to make sure Port Clinton can open as soon as possible!
Check back here for schedule updates. Want updates sent to your email?
Sign up for updates here
Installation of the basketball court surface has been completed, next it will be striped. 
Installation of the path to the basketball court has been completed. Next, restoration work surrounding the path will begin. 
The middle and entry path will be installed next, alongside wrapping installation of the retaining walls.
Installation of the new site furniture has been completed.
Installation of the top layer of soft surface in the tot lot has been completed.
Landscape restoration of the site is underway.
Crews are working on installing the path to the basketball court and installing the basketball court surfacing.
Woodchips have been installed in the elementary play area.
Installation of the top layer of soft surface in the tot lot has started.
Preparation for installation of the playground surfacing has started.
The base layer has gone down in both the tot lot and elementary play areas.
Next, new woodchips will be placed in the elementary playground and the first layer of poured-in-place will be installed in the tot lot.
Installation of the asphalt path has started.
Installation of the asphalt path has started.
Crews started pouring concrete to install curbs around the tot lot.
The basketball court has been laid out and the hoop post installed.
Grading is wrapping up and installation of the asphalt path will begin in the next week.
New benches have been installed at the play areas.
The four-seat see-saw has been installed in the tot lot.
Crews are working on grading for the basketball court next.
Crews have been working on installing the tot lot features.
Contractors were on site working on grading for the park pathway.
The Park District is working with the contractor to continue construction throughout the winter and construction will occur weather permitting.
The new curb around the elementary play area has been poured.
Installation work of the new playground curb is underway. The curb line has been framed and concrete is being poured.
The tot lot has been demolished, and the site is being prepared for the installation of the new tot lot playground equipment.
The new tot lot playground equipment has been delivered to the site.
Installation of the new play panels on the elementary playground has started.
Construction fencing has been put up, the park will remain closed until construction is complete.
Construction is expected to begin the week of September 9. During construction, the park will be closed.
The design process has been completed for the Port Clinton Playground Renovation Project. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback through the survey, listening sessions and community meeting, to help shape the final design for the project. See the tot lot rendering here, and see the 5-12 playground updates here.
Construction is expected to begin in August and be completed by November.
On Thursday, November 16, the Park District of Highland Park held a community meeting to present the proposed playground updates for Port Clinton Park and collect feedback on playground equipment options for the tot lot.
Updates include:
• new pathway design to improve park circulation
• reorientation of the basketball hoop
• updates to the 5-12 playground (rather than a full replacement of the equipment)
• replacement of the tot lot (2-5) playground.
If you were unable to attend the meeting and would like to learn more about the project and/or provide feedback, please reach out to [email protected]. The planning team will be collecting feedback until Tuesday, December 5.
This past summer many of you participated in a survey to share your feedback on Port Clinton Park. The Park District of Highland Park will host a community meeting on Thursday, November 16, 2023, at Oak Terrace Elementary School to share the proposed playground design and two playground equipment options.
The meeting will start with a brief presentation providing an overview of the feedback collected this summer, the proposed park layouts, and project timeline. The presentation will outline the Park District’s decision to restore the existing 5-12 playground equipment instead of replacing the full structure. After the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to review the tot lot equipment options and share their preferences. Feedback collected will be used to guide the final playground designs.
Meeting Details:
Date: Thursday, November 16, 2023
Time: 6-7pm
Location: Oak Terrace Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room
See the survey results from the preliminary playground planning survey here.
We will be at Port Clinton Park on Friday, July 7 from 9:30-11:30am to collect your feedback on the playground renovation.
The Park District of Highland Park would like to hear from you!
There will be several opportunities for the community to participate in the design process and the first is the Port Clinton Playground Preliminary Planning survey. Follow this link to share your feedback in this brief survey.
The Project scope includes (the letter corresponds with the layout plan below):
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.
This phase is funded through the OSLAD grant award and Park District capital budget. (Highlighted in the red dotted line in illustration below)
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.
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)
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.
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.
The native beach grass is continuing to grow, filling out behind the boardwalk.
On Tuesday, June 10, a small ribbon cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the Park Ave. North Beach Access Improvements project.
The new park sign has been installed.
Planting work along the boardwalk is nearing completion.
The fence has been replaced, all that remains is the gate installation.
Contractors are working on replacing the fence that is south of the parking lot. Work is expected to be completed in the next day or so.
Construction of the boardwalk is substantially complete!
Crews will be on-site in the coming weeks to clean up, make minor adjustments, and perform site restoration work.
Once the construction fence is removed, planting will begin.
Construction of the boardwalk is nearing completion, contractors are working installing access points from the boardwalk to the beach.
Installation of the boardwalk continues.
The boardwalk piers have been installed. Framing of the boardwalk is underway.
Installation of the boardwalk has started.
The Park District is working with the contractor to continue construction throughout the winter and construction will occur weather permitting.
New plants have been installed in the beds.
The parking lot improvements have been completed.
New asphalt has been installed and the lot has been striped.
Prep work to install the asphalt parking lot is underway
Concrete curbs, sidewalks, and the overlook have been completed.
Installation of the concrete walk has started
Framing of the curb and walkway is underway.
Demolition of the parking lot is underway.
The construction fence has been installed.
Construction is expected to begin the week of September 30. Construction fencing on site will go up and excavation work will begin.
Construction is now expected to begin the week of September 9. Construction fencing will go up that week.
Construction is expected to begin September 3.
Complete this form if you would llike to receive project updates or if you have any questions.
Complete this form if you would llike to receive project updates or if you have any questions.
Complete this form if you would like to receive project updates or if you have any questions.
Complete this form if you would like to receive project updates or if you have any questions.
The playground surfacing will remain wood chips.
The playground will be closed during the construction phase of the project, which is expected to begin in Spring 2026.
After careful evaluation of the playground, the Park District identified the playground equipment is in good condition and not in need of replacement. As part of this project, certain elements of the playground will be replaced to extend the useful life of the playground and improve user experience.
Yes, the playground footprint may slightly change to accommodate the addition of a picnic/gathering space.
Don’t see your question? Contact us at [email protected].
The new path will be concrete or asphalt, rather than pavers and gravel.
The playground surfacing will remain wood chips.
The playground will be closed during the construction phase of the project, which is expected to begin in Spring 2026.
After careful evaluation of the playground, the Park District identified the playfround equipment is in good condition and not in need of replacement. As part of this project, certain elements of the playground will be replaced to extend the useful life of the playground and improve user experience.
Yes, the playground footprint may slightly change to accommodate the addition of a picnic/gathering space.
Community feedback will determine if the sand play area will remain as part of this playground.
Don’t see your question? Contact us at [email protected].
The construction fence is scheduled to be taken down tomorrow, June 27 – when it’s removed, the tot lot will be ready for play!
The rest of the playground surfacing has been installed, as have most of the site amenities.
Crews will be wrapping up the project and working on site restoration, sign installation, picnic table installation, and tree planting.
The colored layer of poured-in-place surfacing is being installed today.
The base layer of poured-in-place surfacing for the tot lot was installed today.
Next, the colored top layer will be installed.
Installation of the asphalt paths has started and should be completed today.
Crews have finished pouring concrete and are preparing for the installation of the playground surfacing.
The construction zone has been adjusted, to reopen the main entrance to the tennis courts.
Next week, restoration work will begin and crews will also start working on the ashpalt paths.
The musical play pieces have been installed.
Crews are preparing and pouring concrete in the play area now.
Pathwork has started – the crews have started installing the framing and the concrete will be poured next week.
Installation of the main tot lot structure is nearing completion.
The posts for the swing have been installed, and crews are working on installing the main playground structure.
The asphalt path around the playground has been removed.
The tot lot playground equipment has been delivered to the site.
The playground equipment and surfacing has been demolished.
Demolition work of the tot lot equipment has started.
The construction fencing has been installed. The playground will be closed until the renovation work is completed.
Access to the tennis courts will be through the gate on the South side and signage has been posted.
Tree protection fencing is expected to be installed in the next few days. Installation of the construction fence will follow, and will likely be complete before next week.
Construction fencing is expected to go up next week (week of March 24).
During construction, the tot lot will be closed as well as the main entrance to the tennis courts. The tennis courts will be accessible via the South gate (near the parking lot) and signs will be posted.
Thank you to everyone who provided playground equipment feedback at the open house and through the online survey.
The Park District heard from more than 30 people, and a playground design was selected.
See the results here.
On Thursday, September 26, the Park District hosted a Community Open House to share refined tot lot concept designs and collect feedback. Thank you to everyone who attended last night’s meeting!
If you couldn’t make it but would still like to provide feedback, please take the online survey before it closes on Friday, October 11.
Thank you to everyone who provided playground equipment feedback through the online survey and visits at the park. Through this effort, the Park District heard from more than 35 people at the park and 46 survey respondents.
Your feedback will be used to refine the playground design options. In September, two refined options will be shared, and the community will have the opportunity to select their favorite playground design.
See the survey results here.
The Planning and Projects team was at Larry Fink Park’s tot lot on the following dates to share playground equipment options and collect feedback
• Sat, June 15, from 10:30am-12:30pm
• Mon, June 24, from 3-5pm
• Tues, June 25, from 5-7pm
Thank you to everyone who visited the park to share your feedback on the playground equipment! Your feedback will be used to refine the playground design options.
If you didn’t get a chance to stop by the park, or have more to say, please take the online survey before it closes on July 19.
The overall plan below overviews the design of the project components that have been developed through the design process.
The renderings below show the elements of the west side of the project area.
The concept plan below highlights the project area (red outline) and the project components.
Thank you to all who came out to celebrate the completion of the Sunset Woods Improvements project!
Construction for the Sunset Woods Park Improvements project has wrapped up!
The new multi-sport court and game plaza is open for play! Come check out the space and watch it come to life as the grass and native plantings grow!
The new wheel-friendly plaza and skate park are ready to roll!
Skate around and watch this space come to life as the grass and trees grow!
The construction fence came down today and the new spaces are open and ready to enjoy!
Join us this Saturday, June 21, at Sunset Woods Park to celebrate the grand opening of the new park improvements!
Learn more
Finishing touches are underway for the Sunset Woods Improvements project!
Landscape restoration is in progress and trees have been planted.
And the rain garden has been planted and will begin to flourish over the summer.
Painting of the multi-sport court has been completed.
The first color has been painted onto the multi-sport court, and the second color is going down this afternoon.
The game area is coming to life, the ping-pong table has been delivered, four-square and hopscotch are being painted today, and topsoil has been delivered to begin planting next week.
Crews are working on the finishing touches for the bocce court.
Crews will be pouring the remaining concrete for the wheel-friendly plaza in the next couple of days.
Today crews flooded the court to prepare for leveling and coloring work to take place in the coming days.
Crews are wrapping up the installation of the wheel-friendly plaza components.
More components of the wheel-friendly plaza have been installed.
Finishing touches on the skate park elements are underway.
Several components of the wheel-friendly plaza have been installed.
Work on the skate park is nearing completion, crews are moving on to the wheel-friendly plaza.
The skate park bowl has been completed and the most of the skate park features are complete.
Crews are working on flatwork at the skate park.
The footprint of the skate park continues to expand as concrete is being poured.
Concrete for the bowl has been poured.
Work has started on the skate park bowl feature.
Progress has been made on the skate park ramps.
The skate ramps are being formed.
Concrete is being poured and the skate park elements are beginning to take shape.
The Park District is working with the contractor to continue construction throughout the winter and construction will occur weather permitting.
Grading and framing of the skatepark elements is underway.
Construction of the skate park elements has started.
Fence posts for the multi-use basketball court have been installed.
The concrete and asphalt for the game area have been installed.
Concrete for the game area is being installed and the curb around the bocce court has been completed.
The path along the skate park and wheel-friendly plaza has been paved.
Prep-work to install the bocce court has started.
Installation of the multi-use basketball court has started!
Prep-work for installation of the new wheel-friendly plaza and skate park is underway!
Demolition of the skate park and basketball court has started.
Prep-work for installation of the multi-use basketball court is underway!
Drainage to the rain garden area has been installed and grading work is nearing completion.
Prep-work for the installation of the game area is underway! Grading and excavation work has been completed.
Construction fencing has been installed.
Areas within the construction fence are now closed for construction.
Construction is expected to begin the week of September 16.
During construction, portions of the south end of Sunset Woods Park will be closed. The basketball court, skate park, and adjacent path will be closed in addition to the area between the main entrance and tennis courts. The main entrance and tennis courts will remain open during construction.
Click here to see a map of construction areas.
Thank you again to everyone who has provided feedback throughout the design process.
The project will go out to bid at the end of July and construction will start in September 2024.
Click here to see the plan.
A Community Meeting was held on Thursday, May 2, 2024 to share concept designs and collect feedback.
Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting, the feedback provided will be used to guide the final designs.
View a summary of the feedback received on the preferred concept designs and the preliminary updates here.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Skate Park Design Meeting!
The feedback provided is being used to guide the design process for the skate park and wheel-friendly plaza.
A Skate Park Design Meeting will be held on Monday, April 1, 2024 to collect community feedback to guide the design for the skate park and wheel-friendly plaza.
At this meeting, the community will have the opportunity to work directly with Professional Skateboarders, Cody McEntire and Julia Brueckler at American Ramp Company to re-imagine the skate park and wheel-friendly plaza.
A Community Meeting was held on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 to share information about the project and collect community feedback.
Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting, the feedback provided is being used to guide the design process.
A Neighborhood Stakeholder Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 5:00pm at the Sunset Woods Field House with neighbors that live directly adjacent to the park.
At this meeting, the project team will explain the project scope and will facilitate a conversation about cares and concerns as design work begins.
At the November 15 Board Meeting, the Park District Board of Commissioners approved Lamar Johnson Collaborative’s (LJC) proposal for Site Design and Engineering Services for the Sunset Woods Improvements Project.
LJC will be working with the Park District of Highland Park to design and implement the Sunset Woods Improvements Project.
The Park District of Highland Park was awarded $600,000 through the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for Improvements to the southern portion of Sunset Woods Park.
More components of the wheel-friendly plaza have been installed.
Finishing touches on the skate park elements are underway.
Several components of the wheel-friendly plaza have been installed.
Work on the skate park is nearing completion, crews are moving on to the wheel-friendly plaza.
The skate park bowl has been completed and the most of the skate park features are complete.
Crews are working on flatwork at the skate park.
The footprint of the skate park continues to expand as concrete is being poured.
Concrete for the bowl has been poured.
Work has started on the skate park bowl feature.
Progress has been made on the skate park ramps.
Progress has been made on the skate park ramps.
The skate ramps are being formed.
Concrete is being poured and the skate park elements are beginning to take shape.
The Park District is working with the contractor to continue construction throughout the winter and construction will occur weather permitting.
Grading and framing of the skatepark elements is underway.
Construction of the skate park elements has started.
Fence posts for the multi-use basketball court have been installed.
The concrete and asphalt for the game area have been installed.
Concrete for the game area is being installed and the curb around the bocce court has been completed.
The path along the skate park and wheel-friendly plaza has been paved.
Prep-work to install the bocce court has started.
Installation of the multi-use basketball court has started!
Prep-work for installation of the new wheel-friendly plaza and skate park is underway!
Demolition of the skate park and basketball court has started.
Prep-work for installation of the multi-use basketball court is underway!
Drainage to the rain garden area has been installed and grading work is nearing completion.
Prep-work for the installation of the game area is underway! Grading and excavation work has been completed.
Construction fencing has been installed.
Areas within the construction fence are now closed for construction.
Construction is expected to begin the week of September 16.
During construction, portions of the south end of Sunset Woods Park will be closed. The basketball court, skate park, and adjacent path will be closed in addition to the area between the main entrance and tennis courts. The main entrance and tennis courts will remain open during construction.
Click here to see a map of construction areas.
Thank you again to everyone who has provided feedback throughout the design process.
The project will go out to bid at the end of July and construction will start in September 2024.
Click here to see the plan.
A Community Meeting was held on Thursday, May 2, 2024 to share concept designs and collect feedback.
Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting, the feedback provided will be used to guide the final designs.
View a summary of the feedback received on the preferred concept designs and the preliminary updates here.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Skate Park Design Meeting!
The feedback provided is being used to guide the design process for the skate park and wheel-friendly plaza.
A Skate Park Design Meeting will be held on Monday, April 1, 2024 to collect community feedback to guide the design for the skate park and wheel-friendly plaza.
At this meeting, the community will have the opportunity to work directly with Professional Skateboarders, Cody McEntire and Julia Brueckler at American Ramp Company to re-imagine the skate park and wheel-friendly plaza.
A Community Meeting was held on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 to share information about the project and collect community feedback.
Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting, the feedback provided is being used to guide the design process.
A Neighborhood Stakeholder Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 5:00pm at the Sunset Woods Field House with neighbors that live directly adjacent to the park.
At this meeting, the project team will explain the project scope and will facilitate a conversation about cares and concerns as design work begins.
At the November 15 Board Meeting, the Park District Board of Commissioners approved Lamar Johnson Collaborative’s (LJC) proposal for Site Design and Engineering Services for the Sunset Woods Improvements Project.
LJC will be working with the Park District of Highland Park to design and implement the Sunset Woods Improvements Project.
The Park District of Highland Park was awarded $600,000 through the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for Improvements to the southern portion of Sunset Woods Park.
