For decades, Oak Creek has told residents it wants to give them better access to the lakefront. In recent years, city leaders have talked about remediating the land and putting in a mix of public parkland, housing, retail and commercial development. 

Finally, there's movement on this. 

Work began this month on the former DuPont and EPEC properties, which lie on the southern end of the 250 vacant acres north of Bender Park. Before winter sets in, crews are busy removing trees and concrete slabs and excavating along the bluff.

When work is completed and approved by regulatory agencies, ownership of those two properties will transfer to Oak Creek, which probably be sometime in 2014. Roughly half of the parcel will be marketed for private development, and the other half maintained for public use.

In late 2014, the city plans to construct a road around that portion of the lakefront land. When that's completed, it will mark the first time the public has had access to the Oak Creek lakefront. A park is also expected to be constructed around that time.

A paved pathway is planned to connect the upper part of Bender Park with the lakefront redevelopment area east of Fifth Avenue. The city is committed to paying $140,200 from the $1 million budgeted in 2013 for lakefront redevelopment, with $93,400 coming from grant funding.