Evanston adopts shoreline stabilization concepts; six lakefront sites prioritized, staff to seek funding

The City of Evanston on Feb. 24 received a final report from SmithGroup on a multi-site shoreline stabilization project that identifies design concepts for six high-priority lakefront locations and recommended next steps for permitting, design and funding.

Mark Wagstaff, the SmithGroup consultant who led the project, told the City Council the work built from the 2020 post-flood roadmap and three rounds of public engagement that produced more than 1,000 survey responses and multiple well-attended meetings. “Naturalization and pedestrian access were things that we heard time and time again,” Wagstaff said during his presentation.

The study developed preliminary engineering and initial cost estimates for six sites running from Sheridan Road north to Lincoln Street. Wagstaff described the concepts as an effort to balance resilience, accessibility and recreation while increasing native habitat where feasible. Highlights included options to narrow Sheridan Road to create space for expanded parkland and a multiuse path; regrading and naturalizing the concrete promenade at Clark Square; stabilizing and expanding Lee Street Beach with a small headland and improved lifeguard access; beach nourishment and a small offshore breakwater at the dog beach; and a rebuilt revetment with native upland habitat near the water plant.

Estimates presented in the meeting packet and by staff put the preliminary, high-level total across the six sites at roughly $30,000,000. Wagstaff said the individual site estimates vary widely — “one is less than a million, and one is getting closer to, you know, $89,000,000” — underscoring that each site has different scopes and constraints. City staff emphasized that these are initial, preliminary numbers and that final design and permits will be required for firm pricing.

The consultant and staff warned that a “do nothing” approach is not recommended: Wagstaff said decades of deterioration mean the city will face continued problems during high lake levels without reinvestment. The project timeline discussed on the dais assumes a minimum of about a year to complete final design and obtain permits for a selected project and another one to two years for construction on an individual site, meaning full implementation across multiple sites could extend several years.

Staff said they will use the report to inform the 2026 Capital Improvement Program and to evaluate federal and other grant opportunities. City staff estimated Sheridan and Greenwood as the two highest-priority sites for early work, although they emphasized final priorities and funding decisions rest with the council and future budget processes.

Ending note Council members thanked staff and the consultant for a public process that, staff said, will now move into more detailed design, permitting and funding steps. The council did not take a formal vote on any project at the Feb. 24 meeting; staff were directed to fold the recommendations into CIP planning and to return with more detailed cost and funding options as part of the city’s capital planning work.