This week the Pontoon & Deck Boat magazine staff is at the Chicago Boat Show and besides the usual buzz of new boats being sold, news about the new Navy Pier marina has a lot of people talking.
Navy Pier Marina will be the first marina on Lake Michigan to exclusively offer short term, transient docking facilities with immediate access to The People’s Pier dining, shopping and entertainment, filling a need for both local and visiting boaters. The planned marina is already generating excitement from the boating community in and around Chicago as there are currently limited transient docking options.
“Navy Pier Marina will provide a much-needed service to the boating community in Chicago” said Joe Caltabiano, a longtime Chicago boater. “Short term docking and quick access to restaurants and the city are sorely lacking.”
The marina will put Navy Pier on the map as the premier boating destination for Lake Michigan boaters, “Loopers” and visiting boats from other Great Lakes, as well as those transiting from the oceans to the Great Lakes, driving incremental tourism and revenue on and off the iconic pier.
“Attracting new, unique customers to Navy Pier’s broad array of restaurants, bars and entertainment options is great for Chicago and boaters from all around the city and surrounding areas, said Tito Beveridge, founder of Tito’s Handmade Vodka. “This venue will provide everything local boaters have been desiring for many years.”
Navy Pier Marina is the result of project developer Randy D. Podolsky’s long-term vision and his dedication to bring the project to life.
“A marina at Navy Pier has been talked about casually for decades,” said Podolsky. “For over 35 years I have dreamed about being able to moor at Navy Pier for lunch, dinner or an overnight stay. Navy Pier Marina is being privately funded and will bring the benefits of economic growth to the city, additional jobs and more exposure to Navy Pier.”
The marina will be located on the north side of Navy Pier and will offer hourly, daily or weekly mooring to vessels up to 130 feet in length. Guest amenities include concierge services, 24-hour access and staffing, advance online reservations, secured entry, a boater’s lounge, ship store, Wi-Fi, utilities, bike racks and in-slip pump-out facilities.
The project is being developed for Navy Pier by NPM Venture LLC with design and engineering by Edgewater Resources. It is scheduled to be open to boaters in 2021.
More information about the new marina is available this week at the Chicago Boat Show, (January 8-12) at McCormick Place and online at navypiermarina.com.
