Evanston's Dog Beach will get a permanent ADA-accessible entrance after the City Council on Monday, Aug. 24, approved an $863,850 design/build contract with John Keno & Company, a Chicago-based firm.
The project ends a four-year debate over how to bring the popular lakefront spot into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The beach, located just south of Clark Street Beach at 1811 Sheridan Rd., has lacked accessible entry since it reopened in October 2022.
The contract, approved as part of the consent agenda at the council's first meeting back from a four-week recess, exceeds its available bond funding by $113,850. According to the city's meeting agenda, the Capital Improvement Fund currently provides $650,000 from 2025 project bonds and $100,000 from 2026 project bonds. The remaining $113,850 will need to be budgeted as 2027 project bonds.
Long road to a ramp
The accessibility question has hung over the project since the beach reopened. In August 2025, the city's ADA Advisory Committee rejected design options that included temporary mobility mats, insisting on a permanent structure, the Evanston Roundtable reported.
By April 2026, city officials were still preparing bid documents, with the contractor search planned for summer 2026. That timeline held: the city issued RFP 26-33 and selected John Keno & Company for the design/build work.
Budget gap requires 2027 bonds
The $113,850 shortfall means the council will need to approve additional bonding next year. The project's total cost represents a 15% overrun above the $750,000 set aside in 2025 and 2026 capital bonds.
No construction start date or completion timeline appeared in the agenda materials. The staff memo referenced in the resolution was not publicly accessible as of Tuesday, Aug. 25.
The beach
The Dog Beach, with its entrance north of the Church Street Boat Ramp, is open seasonally from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Passes are free for Evanston residents. Evanston's lakefront draws roughly 175,000 visitors to its five guarded swimming beaches between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to the city's capital improvement program summary.
The city's new off-leash dog park, Dog E-Town in the Fourth Ward, is set to open Aug. 30.
