Kenilworth's swim beach is back.

The village's lakefront opened its gates at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 1, after nearly a year of Phase 2 construction, giving pass holders their first look at the renovated beach. The reopening coincided with a dangerous heat wave pushing heat indices past 100 degrees across the Chicago region.

"It's going to be something that's a gem for the community," Village Manager Kathy Thake told The Record North Shore. "Our beach here, although it's a smaller beach compared to some of the other ones on the North Shore, it's definitely something that the community can be proud of and will definitely attract a lot of residents."

The beach closed in September 2025 for the second phase of the Kenilworth Beach Improvement Plan, meaning residents went an entire summer without access to their lakefront. Phase 1, which restored the shoreline, began in October 2024.

What's open now: the swim beach, a new bathroom building, and the upper plaza.

What's not: the street ramp, the new beach plaza, and the Devonshire Lane entry remain fenced off and under construction, with completion expected by the end of summer. Beach staff are providing ADA-compliant accommodations while the ramp is unfinished.

When the beach plaza does open, it will feature a foot wash station, improved patios, a "stair-ramp" with benches, and new seating and shade areas, according to the village's project website.

The price tag has grown. The Village Board set a guaranteed maximum price of $6.98 million with construction manager Bulley & Andrews of Chicago in August 2025. Earlier this year, the village raised that cap to $7.68 million. The final cost won't be known until the project wraps.

Funding came from a $2.5 million bond sale authorized by voters in a March 2024 referendum that passed by a nearly 3-to-1 margin (427 of 583 votes), plus more than $500,000 raised through community fundraising for the beach plaza.

The National Weather Service warned that extreme heat would peak Tuesday, June 30, through Thursday, July 2, in the Midwest, with triple-digit heat indices forecast for Chicago and surrounding communities.

The village posts weekly construction updates at vok.org.