Nearly three years after an unexecuted land swap deal was signed between billionaire Justin Ishbia and the Winnetka Park District, a representative for Ishbia announced a $3 million donation will be made to help fund the rebuild of Elder Lane and Centennial beaches.
The funding would be added to the $10.5 million the Park District has earmarked for phase one of the newly updated plans for Elder and Centennial. With the additional funding, the Park District could complete phase two as well.
But the Park District’s long-range goals may still be thwarted as Ishbia has remained unwilling to complete the land swap that would enable the Park District to create one contiguous beach. And the Park District itself faces litigation for its role in the deal.
Ishbia signed a land swap agreement with the Park District in October 2020 that would trade the land he owns in between the two beaches at 261 Sheridan Road with a chunk of land from Centennial that abuts his other property at 205 Sheridan Road. The deeds have yet to be swapped even with the Park District attempting to finalize the deal multiple times.
The land swap has caused issues for years among residents of Winnetka who say the Park District shouldn’t be in the business of trading public land with private citizens. A lawsuit by resident Robert Schriesheim has kept the Park District from enforcing the swap, effectively keeping the dream of a contiguous beach at a standstill.
Former Park Board President and current Commissioner Warren James said a few months after the deal was signed, Ishbia came back asking for further demands the Park District was not prepared to meet, leading to an impasse in negotiations. The Park District considered litigation at the time but chose not to go forward with it.
Ishbia stated his reasoning for the donation was to support the community since he and his family will soon be moving to Winnetka once their $43.7 million home south of Centennial is completed.
The total bill for phases one and two combined would be $13,561,200.
“Making the Elder-Centennial lakefront accessible and enjoyable for all Winnetka residents has been a long-standing aspiration of the community. I am hopeful that this donation will enable the Park District to move forward with the first phases of the Master Lakefront Improvement plan that they have been working diligently to bring to fruition for several years,” Ishbia said in a statement. “By accelerating the execution of these plans and creating an off-leash dog park, Winnetka families, children and their dogs will be able to sooner access the lakefront and enjoy our beautiful beaches for years to come.”
Board President Christina Codo thanked David Williams, who announced the donation at the Sept. 7 Park Board meeting on behalf of Ishbia, saying it was a surprise but there is a robust donation policy it would have to go through.
Phase three, which would see the beaches combined, is unlikely to come to fruition since the land swap would need to be executed.
The current land swap has been deemed “dormant” by Winnetka Park District counsel Adam Simon, who said during the meeting with the ongoing lawsuit from Schriesheim, the Park District is unable to move forward in executing the land swap.
“We are engaged in pending litigation so there’s no action that we could take right now to perform the agreement so it’s dormant, which is another adjective for on hold,” Simon said.
Commissioner Colleen Root was skeptical if the land swap could ever be completed even if it’s technically still active.
“To me, it means the agreement is dead and it’s time for us to say goodbye,” she said. “I’ll hold my tongue about the $3 million. We’ve had a lot of promises over the last three years.”
James said there is no political will to pursue the matter especially if it would cost the Park District more in litigation.
“We want to move forward, open Elder, improve Centennial and deliver these improvements and get this issue behind us,” James said.
Next steps would be to approve the design and get permits submitted to appropriate agencies. Director of Parks and Maintenance Costa Kutulas said it could be from six to 16 months for permits to be approved. If all goes according to plan, Park District staff expects construction to be completed in December 2024 with the beaches reopening for summer 2025.
