March April 2020 Marina World

Visitor marina to
complement landmark pier
Navy Pier Marina, scheduled to open in 2021, will be the first dedicated
transient marina on Lake Michigan. With white glove concierge service, 24-
hour secure access and expert staffing, it will offer exclusive and direct access
to the multiple attractions of the iconic Navy Pier and the city of Chicago.
Developed to offer short term visitor
docking facilities with immediate access
to ‘The People’s Pier’ dining, shopping
and entertainment, the new marina
will fill a market gap for both local and
transient boaters. It is planned as the
premier lakeside entry to the city and is
already generating excitement in and
around Chicago as there are currently
no recreational mooring slips at the Pier.
“Navy Pier Marina will provide a
much-needed service to the boating
community in Chicago,” said Joe
Caltabiano, a long-time Chicago boater
and prominent businessman. “Short term
docking and quick access to restaurants
and the city are sorely lacking.”
The marina will make Navy Pier a
nautical destination for Lake Michigan
boaters, ‘loopers’, and visitors from other
Great Lakes and beyond. This will help
drive tourism and contribute to revenue
at Navy Pier, an iconic and historic city
landmark and 5-acre (2-ha) centre for
entertainment, leisure, arts and culture.
Navy Pier Marina is the result of
project developer Randy Podolsky’s
long-term vision. “A marina at Navy
Above: artist’s impression of Navy Pier
Marina. Right: Navy Pier is an iconic
and historic Chicago city
landmark on Lake Michigan
(photo: Alert Five Productions).
Pier has been talked about casually for
decades,” he confirmed. “For over 35
years, I have dreamed about being able
to moor at Navy Pier for lunch, dinner or
an overnight stay. My vision to make the
conceived marina a dedicated transient
marina, brings the desires of all boaters
to fruition.”
“Since the project’s approval by
Chicago City Council in 2016, we have
worked non-stop to bring the project to
the people of Chicago, and all boaters
who yearn for access to Navy Pier from
the water,” he added.
According to an economic impact
calculation tool generated by the
University of Florida and Virginia
Institute of Marine Science, the new
PLANNING & DESIGN
marina will contribute over $11 million
annually to the local economy. New
mooring tax revenues paired with
incremental tax dollars generated by
increased boating activity will produce
significant revenue for city-funded
projects and programmes, positively
impacting all residents of Chicago.
The privately funded marina will also
create more than 100 new employment
opportunities.
The marina will be located to the
north of the pier and will feature wave
attenuating docks to mitigate wave
action from Chicago Harbour’s inner
break-wall boat traffic and winds. In
addition to a floating dock system, docks
will be fixed at the east end. Around
7,000 linear feet (2,134m) of broadside
mooring will be offered with three
gangways giving convenient access to
Navy Pier.
Offering hourly, daily and weekly
mooring for vessels up to 130ft (40m)
- and possibly longer - the marina
will have a wealth of guest amenities
including concierge services, 24-hour
access and staffing, advance online
reservations, secured entry, a boater’s
lounge, laundry, bathrooms, ship store,
WiFi, utilities, bike racks and in-slip
pump-out. Potential additional boating
organisation users may include fishing,
sail and/or yacht charters, and/or a
shared boat club.
The project is being developed by
NPM Venture LLC and design and
engineering is being undertaken by
Edgewater Resources of St Joseph,
Michigan. Edgewater is currently
completing final engineering work as
well as managing the tender process for
the dock systems. Work is expected to
start this autumn.
Navy Pier was completed in 1916
as part of Daniel Burnham’s plan for
Chicago. It reopened in 1995 as a visitor
attraction.
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