Rosewood Beach Project Gets Started

After years of planning amid passionate advocacy by those for and against the project, sand was broken today and work will begin Wednesday on a $12 million restoration project of Rosewood Beach.

Commissioners of the Park District of Highland Park gathered with Park District staff, people who had been responsible for the project from inception through today, other local officials and interested citizens to officially “break the sand” before construction begins Wednesday.

The project is divided into two parts. Restoration of beach amenities including changing facilities, a concession stand, interpretive center and more will cost just over $4.6 million and will be handled by the Park District. That part of the effort will be complete by summer. An overhaul of the beach itself will be done by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Beach work will include removing the steel jetties and replacing them with three beach pools adding sand to lakefront. This part of the project will cost more than $7.3 million and is funded by the federal government. The work will be done at the same time.

“We’ll be meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers to discuss their timetable,” Park District Communications and Marketing Director Margaret Behlow said. “The work will be done simultaneously but we don’t control their schedule.”

Updates will be available on the Park District website.

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