Shorewood's West Shore Park Undergoes a $430,000 Facelift

In her 12 years with the Village of Shorewood’s Parks and Recreation Department, supervisor Linda McCluskey has witnessed what she calls “unbelieveable progress and advancement with the parks and different beautification” projects in town.

One of those projects is ongoing right now.

Shorewood’s West Shore Park—located at the corner of West Shore and Turtle Street—is undergoing a major facelift thanks to a revitalization grant secured by McCluskey and the Village.

The park is being equipped this summer with two permanent bean bag toss courts, new playground equipment, a new sand volleyball court, a new splash pad and a new picnic shelter. The work is expected to be completed by the end of August, McCluskey said.

She said the cost of the renovation project is $430,000—about half of that total coming from money secured through a grant from Open Space Lands Acquisition Development (OSLAD) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

“It’s part of the riverfront master plan,” McCluskey said. “It’s all about developing and upgrading the riverfront area down there where the DuPage River runs through the heart of Shorewood. We want to make it place for people to come and bring their families. It’s a very scenic and very pretty area.”

McCluskey said Village crews are handling some of the work themselves and the rest is being farmed out to third-party independent contractors. A team from Channahon’s Frank Burla & Sons was on the site Wednesday working to put a roof on the new picnic shelter.

And, while the picnic shelter will be a place for families to gather, McCluskey anticipates the splash pad to be the big attraction.

“This will be the second one in Shorewood,” she said. “The first one is at the Towne Center Park. The water is programmed so it’s available for use from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. And, if the sun is out, there are always people out there.”

She described the new playground equipment as “natural and realistic climbing rocks” and said cargo netting will connect three sections of rocks.

“It’s what you call free-play,” McCluskey said. “The kids make it up as they go. They climb and pretend they’re pirates out there—or whatever else comes to mind. It’s going to be totally unique in Shorewood.”

She posted a photo of the rocks when they arrived on the back of a semi-trailer truck earlier this spring on the Village’s Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

“The community spirit comes across in our parks and the vision of our (Village) board,” McCluskey said. “There is a recognition there of how important parks are in people’s lives.”