New Lakefront Preserve Opens

For nearly 50 years, Openlands has acquired property in Chicagoland and neighboring areas in Indiana and Wisconsin to restore it to its natural state and eventually tender it to another organization for long-term maintenance and operation. 

Five years ago that started to change when Openlands was faced with the prospect of 77 acres along Lake Michigan in northern Highland Park going to private developers. 

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Openlands made a bold move, according to President Jerry Adelmann, and the results were on display when the project, five years in the making, opened to the public Saturday on Patten Road in the Town of Ft. Sheridan. 

Unbeatable bluffs

The 77 acres of lakefront and adjacent property lies in the southern part of the former Ft. Sheridan next to the land now used to house personnel from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. It includes more than a mile of beach, lakefront, bluffs and other terrain going from Walker on the south to the border of the privately developed area of the Town of Ft. Sheridan on the north. 

“There’s a mile of lake shore, bluffs, three ravines and an upland area,” Adelmann said. “Combined with the Lake County Forest Preserve property there is more than two miles of lake frontage.” 

Adelmann is referring to the privately developed section of the former military base immediately north of the preserve, which now holds open preserves, prairie and nearly a mile of beach. They are adjacent and accessible to each other according to Adelmann. 

“There’s nothing else like it in the area,” Adelmann said. “The bluffs rise 70 feet above the lake. The state beach (in Zion) is dunes like Indiana.” 

He also pointed out the large public expanses of lakefront in Chicago do not have bluffs like the new preserve. 

Trails and overlooks

The area has trails, including a mile-long paved path for walkers, cyclists and joggers. There are also overlooks where people can look out at Lake Michigan and what Adelmann calls "interpretive areas.” 

“There is art work, signage and educational programs,” Adelmann said of the interpretive portion. “We have developed programs in 20 schools with third through fifth graders and high school students.” 

None of the area can be used as a swimming beach according to Adelmann.  The grant of the property from the United States government to Openlands prohibits recreational beach use. 

“It’s for passive use. No swimming or volleyball,” he said. “It’s also an educational place along the lake."

While there was no financial cost for the property, $12 million was necessary to restore the acreage to public use. The journey for Openlands began in 2006 when a call was received from  

A first for Openlands

At the time Kirk, who lives nearby in the developed part of the former military base, was a member of the House of Representatives. 

“He asked us if we could find someone to take the property and preserve it,” Adelmann said. “We told him we could.” 

After a thorough search, Openlands could not secure a taker. “‘It’s going to be a gated community,’ he told us.” 

Adelman and his organization were not going to let that happen. He, his staff and his board made the decision to acquire the property, restore it and operate it in the long term. It was a first for Openlands. 

“We stepped up to the plate and said we would take it. That gave us a $12 million development project,” Adelmann said. “Kirk was wonderful through the whole process. We couldn’t have done it without him.” 

The Openlands staff went to work getting half the funds from two sources. The Grand Victoria Foundation contributed $4 million and the Hamill Family Foundation added $2 million. The fundraising also included money for ongoing maintenance and development. 

“We raised some for an endowment,” Adelmann said. “We want to continue this in perpetuity.”

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