Transient marina project has received all permits to commence construction for a 2025 launch
NPM Venture LLC, operating as Navy Pier Marina (NPM), has received all permits necessary to allow the construction of the Navy Pier Marina to begin this year, in anticipation of operating by summer of 2025.
The final design and construction plans were approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois EPA, the State Historic Preservation Office and Chicago’s Department of Transportation, allowing construction of the dedicated transient boat marina to begin this year. The marina was designed and engineered by Edgewater Resources, located in St. Joseph, Mich.
The marina is expected to open in the 2025 boating season. When launched, the marina will offer transient mooring to boaters from Chicago, around Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes, as well as those navigating the Great Loop and boating groups planning rendezvous seeking unique and modern mooring facilities in the heart of Chicago.
NPM intends to offer limited space for fishing, sailing and diving charters, as well as potential seasonal mooring for boat clubs and other recreational boating commercial uses. Lunch and dinner hourly tie-ups, as well as overnight stays, will be offered by a user-friendly online reservation system. Boaters can plan to moor up with friends and family to eat, catch a ride on the Centennial Wheel, experience Flyover Chicago, the Chicago Children’s Museum, or enjoy the myriad other attractions located on Navy Pier.
“We are very excited to bring this first-ever marina to Navy Pier,” said Randy D. Podolsky, developer of Navy Pier Marina and a Chicago native who has been working on the development of the Navy Pier Marina since 2015. “The marina brings water access to the iconic Navy Pier and the city’s core to boaters from a lake approach. Until now, Navy Pier has been inaccessible to waterborne tourists desiring access to everything the Pier has to offer. We are eagerly anticipating our marina launching a new era of maritime enjoyment for local and visiting yachtspersons alike.”
The privately funded and entrepreneurially operated Navy Pier Marina will offer approximately 6,400 linear feet of broadside (side-tie) mooring for vessels up to 180 feet in length with a mix of fixed and floating piers. Amenities will include concierge- quality service, power and water hookups, Wi-Fi, pump-out service, and a boater’s amenity facility equipped with restrooms, showers, a lounge, and a ship’s store. The Marina will also host a bicycle repair station and a pet-friendly environment, including a pet relief station.
Navy Pier is the top nonprofit tourism destination in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and welcoming nearly 8 million annual guests. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases more than 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats and exposition facilities.
For updates on construction, opening date and reservations, visit: www.navypiermarina.com
