Full Reopening Of Navy Pier Set For Memorial Day Weekend

CHICAGO — Navy Pier officials announced plans for a full reopening and a summerlong schedule of events starting Memorial Day weekend.

The public will be allowed into the pier's indoor spaces starting Thursday, with more businesses reopening gradually over the following week.

The summer season of events also starts next week, with a neighborhood artisan market on the south dock, dance performances, DJ concerts and live music starting Saturday.

Starting May 28, the pier will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, according to a statement from Navy Pier Inc., the nonprofit entity that manages the pier.

Navy Pier officials closed the pier for nearly eight months starting last September in an effort to cut its financial losses from restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

In March, a new 223-room luxury hotel opened on the pier, and last month pier officials announced the first stage of its phased reopening, which included mainly outdoor areas.

Marilynn Gardner, the president and chief executive officer of Navy Pier Inc., encouraged tourists to check out the pier this summer.

"As our community continues to make progress in recovery from the pandemic, we are thrilled to continue welcoming guests back to the lakefront safely," Gardner said in a statement Tuesday announcing the pier's reopening. "As tourism also begins to resume, we encourage local and regional travelers to consider a visit and overnight stay to take advantage of our vast open spaces, dining, retail, attractions, arts and culture and new hotel."

Pier officials touted their coronavirus safety precautions, which include a "capacity intelligence program" aimed at keeping track of the number of people on the pier and alerting staff when an area reaches capacity.

The technology is designed by Tokyo-based NTT Corporation. Company officials said it uses optical sensors and other devices to collect data on the number of people in and around the pier.

“We are delighted to work with Chicago’s Navy Pier on this project," Akira Shimada, NTT's senior executive vice president, said in a release. "It is a great example of how data and analytics help organizations focus on citizens’ health and wellbeing and plan for reopening urban spaces and facilities that have remained closed or empty."

Pier officials announced a partial schedule of live events through Sept. 4.

Events taking place on the lawn will include social distancing circles to keep parties separate, according to pier officials. "Social Distancing Ambassadors" will also be assigned to "cordially remind" visitors to keep their distance.

Face masks are currently required everywhere on the pier.

"Given the fluidity and nature of the situation, the Pier is prepared to modify procedures as necessary," according to the reopening announcement from Navy Pier Inc.

Related:
Navy Pier To Reopen To Public On April 30
Navy Pier To Close Until 2021 Due To Cost Of Coronavirus Pandemic
Navy Pier Inc.Faces $20 Million In Losses, Potential Closure

The state-created agency that manages Navy Pier, The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, has leased the pier to Navy Pier Inc. for $1 a year. The state has given the nonprofit about $180 million.

For the past six years, the pier has been spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on attorneys as part of a legal battle to convince judges that it not a public body, despite managing public property with taxpayer support.

A circuit judge and state appellate panel ruled the pier should disclose basic budget data, but in March the Illinois Supreme Court sent the case back to the circuit court for further review. Legislation that would resolve the dispute was introduced in the state Senate earlier this year but has failed to attract any co-sponsors.

First opened in 1916 before serving as a U.S. Navy training center in World War II, Navy Pier was first envisioned by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham as a "people's pier" and publicly financed at a cost of $5 million, the equivalent of nearly $119 million today.