Politics & Government

Explosives Probe: Experts Convene At Openlands Lakeshore Preserve

The Navy hired an outside firm to study the safety of the lakefront property following this spring's discovery of unexploded military items.

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Experts from five states were on hand earlier this month at Openlands Lakeshore Preserve in Highland Park, according to Chicago-based nonprofit Openlands.
Experts from five states were on hand earlier this month at Openlands Lakeshore Preserve in Highland Park, according to Chicago-based nonprofit Openlands. (Naval Station Great Lakes)

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Consultants hired by the U.S. Navy spent several days this month working at the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve as part of an ongoing study launched following the discovery of explosives there eight months earlier.

Experts from five states took part in three days of field work at the lakefront site, according to Openlands, the nonprofit that owns the 77-acre property on the site of the former Fort Sheridan military base, which closed in 1993 and has been a nature preserve since 2007.

The preserve has been closed to the public since the first week of April following the discovery of three military artifacts on the property.

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Initially, Defense Department representatives concluded that the discoveries were "anomalies" that do not require further investigation, but officials with the nonprofit said the military's investigation was not good enough to ensure the safety of the public.

Openlands hired the owner of bomb-sniffing dogs to check the area, which resulted in the discovery of another "area of concern" in May. Later that month, city officials asked the military to conduct an on-site investigation.

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A series of weekly meetings were convened between representatives of the city, county, Openlands and Naval Station Great Lakes.

In August, environmental experts from the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, or NAVFAC, visited the site. And in September, NAVFAC awarded a contract to Tetra Tech to study the site, with plans to complete the study by summer 2022.

"The results of the study will allow for recommendations regarding the need for any further action, if any, and will also allow Openlands to make informed decisions regarding steps needed to re-open the Preserve," according to an announcement from Openlands representatives.

Patch requested further details about the status of the ongoing assessment from a spokesperson for Tetra Tech. Any additional information received will be added here.

Mayor Nancy Rotering said during a City Council meeting in October that she had been involved in regular meetings about the efforts to reopen the property to the public.

"Believe me: If you think it's been taking a long time, so do I, and it's been very frustrating," Rotering said. "But we appreciate the collaborative efforts of our multi-jurisdictions to get things resolved and to keep people safe and to restore their opportunity to enjoy this beautiful location."

Openlands Lakeshore Preserve is located on a portion of the base originally known as Camp Highwood. Later dubbed Fort Sheridan, the base was established in 1887 by wealthy Chicago businessmen — many with summer homes nearly — who purchased the land through the Commercial Club of Chicago before giving it to the federal government in an effort to permit soldiers to more easily be deployed against their workers. Fort Sheridan later served as a major training and administrative post during World War II and was the headquarters of the Nike missile system during the Cold War. (Openlands)

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