Centennial Beach opening pushed back to at least June 20

Naperville Park District is pushing back the scheduled opening of Centennial Beach by about four weeks, officials said Thursday.

The beach, which normally opens to the public on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, now is tentatively set to open June 20.

"There are too many variables right now in light of the COVID-19 pandemic for us to reasonably say that it will be business as usual come Memorial Day weekend," Executive Director Ray McGury said in a written statement. "Our primary focus at the beach is about safety and this current situation just adds another layer of safety-related concerns to be addressed."

The June date gives officials a chance to gather additional information from public health organizations regarding aquatics operations for the summer season.

The district continues to move forward with hiring staff for the facility, including lifeguards, swim instructors and guest services attendants. Park staff members, who normally begin working on maintenance procedures in March to get the facility ready for its late May opening, have delayed the process until later this month. There is required cleaning and maintenance that needs to be performed even though it's possible the facility could remain closed for the season.

Centennial Beach staff training, which typically begins in April, will be postponed until late May.