Village Council To Vote On Critical Next Steps For Reopening Of Tower Road Pier

WINNETKA, IL — Winnetka officials are moving ahead with plans tied to the eventual reopening of the pier at Tower Road Beach, which has been closed indefinitely since early 2026 over structural safety concerns.

At Tuesday's Village Council meeting, council members are scheduled to vote on whether to approve an extension agreement for professional services with W.F. Baird & Associates LTD. for engineering and related work on the Winnetka electric plant pier structural assessment.

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The village executed a professional services agreement with Baird & Associates on Oct. 16, 2025, for the Tower Road pier evaluation. According to the village, Baird found that the pier, originally constructed in the early 20th century and improved incrementally through the 1980s, showed widespread deformation, deterioration and settlement, especially along the northwest and northeast cantilevered sheet piling.

"Work to address the failing structure of the pier at Tower Road Beach has been underway since a structural engineer identified that it was in far worse condition than anticipated last winter," village officials said in a statement. "This current extension agreement will provide the Village with a structural assessment, which is an important step toward identifying a plan to reconfigure the pier and surrounding area."

In March 2026, Village Staff and Baird presented the council with the status of the Tower Road Pier and findings on long-term options for rehabilitation or replacement. Those findings were based on surface-level evaluations and historical data provided by the village. The entire pier has remained temporarily closed since February because of structural stability concerns.

In May, Village Staff used an existing contract to complete a full topographic survey of the Tower Road Pier and surrounding area. After the survey results were delivered in June, the village identified Baird's proposed structural assessment and delineation work as the next needed step toward the reconfiguration goals.

According to the village, the survey results and Baird's structural analysis will be used by Village Staff to perform design work for public access improvements using internal resources. Public bidding will likely extend into the first quarter of 2027, with construction potentially taking place in spring 2027, or as soon as lake conditions permit safe access.

Funding for construction of the reconfiguration option is expected to be included in the FY2027 Capital Improvement Plan.

Winnetka Village Council meetings take place at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Village Hall, 510 Green Bay Rd.