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Meyers Beach Project Update: An open letter from Friends Executive Director Jeff Rennicke
Dear Friends:
The Board of Directors of Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, in consultation with its staff and the National Park Service, recently voted to delay the planned 2025-2026 construction of the all-accessible walkway at Meyers Beach after contractor bids for construction did not meet expectations. With so many of you playing a part in bringing the project this far, this close to becoming a reality, I wanted to be transparent about the decision, our reasoning, and the path forward to ensuring its eventual completion.
Uncertainty over staffing levels and the potential for ongoing federal budget cuts, along with longer-than-expected governmental review times, caused the Meyers Beach construction project to be put out for bids later than anticipated in our overall timeline. The shorter turn-around time, coupled with the very brief construction season, resulted in fewer bids and significantly higher costs in those bids that otherwise met the required qualifications than we and project planners had hoped for.
Expressing the desire to be financially-responsible stewards of your valuable donations, the Board of Directors voted to ask the National Park Service to consider small, cost-saving changes to the design and then put the project out for rebidding this fall with the goal of attracting more bids in line with our projected cost estimates. The revised timeline calls for construction during the 2026 summer season with an anticipated completion that fall.
Draft schematic of Meyers Beach project, subject to change – click to enlarge – NPS graphic
Friends of the Apostle Islands remains committed to Accessibility as one of the pillars of our organization. We are deeply proud of the way the community, businesses, industry leaders, and partner organizations have come together under the banner of our Access for All initiative, the largest capital campaign in the history of Friends of the Apostle Islands.
Rescheduling the project for 2026 will result in a completion delay of only a few months since the original plan was for the construction process to span both the 2025 & 2026 summer seasons. More importantly, it will allow us to be fiscally responsible with the funds so many of you have contributed to the vision of this project, and to ensure that the final result will be the kind of high quality, life-changing addition to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore that the Islands and you, deserve.
Jeff Rennicke
Executive Director, Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
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