MILWAUKEE — After being closed to the public for nearly three years, McKinley Beach could be making a comeback this summer.
"It's just wonderful to see this being built," said Milwaukee County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman.
Construction is currently underway to revamp the entire beach area in order to make it safer for swimmers. This comes after multiple drownings, and near drownings, occurred at McKinley in the summer of 2020.
"It was just dangerous," said Wasserman.
Over the next couple of weeks, crews will be by adding additional sand to the beach in order to make parts of the water more shallow. Experts say that will also help prevent rip currents from forming.
"We've had some really high water years and so that coupled with the loss of beach sand creates a much deeper swimming area," said Sarah Toomsen, the planning and development manager for Milwaukee County Parks. "Our intention is that we would address some of the currents that aren't visible when you're looking at the surface of the water."
But it's the type of sand that crews are using that officials say will help maintain the safety of the beach for years to come.
"We had to buy different sand that's a little bit coarser, it's a little bit thicker," said Wasserman.
"It limits the amount of sand that could erode out of the beach site," said Toomsen. "A coarser sand is more sustainable over time."
If construction goes according to plan, officials say McKinley Beach could reopen sometime in August. However, it will not be staffed with lifeguards.
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