Jan. 5 at 12:06 p.m.
Filed under:
Conventions,
Tourism,
Updated
By Kathy Bergen
A southwest view from of Navy Pier from the Ferris Wheel, Nov. 9, 2010. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)
Navy Pier, the lakefront entertainment complex that has been joined at the hip with McCormick Place, will be leased to a newly formed not-for-profit corporation that will govern and manage the tourist attraction, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority announced this morning.
Sara Nava Garvey will serve as transitional chair of the new board. She also serves on the board of the authority, the state-city agency known as McPier that now owns and operates the pier and the convention center. Get the full story »
Dec. 15, 2010 at 9:48 a.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Government
By Kathy Bergen
Navy Pier, like other enterprises, is finding the use of daily deal site Groupon to be a mixed blessing.
The pier sold 7,500 Groupons for the beginning days of its annual Winter WonderFest, an 283 percent increase from its first venture into discounted sales via Groupon last year. Get the full story »
Oct. 20, 2010 at 4:55 p.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Restaurants,
Tourism,
Updated
By Kathy Bergen
Jimmy Buffett. (John Fitzhugh/Biloxi Sun Herald/MCT)
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant is sailing into Navy Pier for a 10-year run.
The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns and operates the pier, announced the lease Wednesday morning.
“So, we’ll have the Caribbean in February on Navy Pier,” said David Mosena, chairman of the authority, known as McPier. The authority is hoping the restaurant and entertainment venue will serve as an attendance magnet year-round. Get the full story »
By Wailin Wong
A mobile application that combines games and perks at local businesses is launching Wednesday in Chicago with the Chicago Office of Tourism and other area institutions.
SCVNGR is the latest location-based service to enter the Chicago market. These apps, which allow consumers to “check in” at local businesses, have become increasingly popular, thanks to the rise of companies such as Foursquare and Gowalla. Yelp and Facebook have also added location-based features to their offerings. The SCVNGR app is available for both the iPhone and Android-based phones. Get the full story »
Feb. 24, 2010 at 4:11 p.m.
Filed under:
Politics,
Unions
By Kathy Bergen
and Ray Long
| SPRINGFIELD—Speaker Michael Madigan today easily pushed through the House a measure to study how to improve the financial position and efficiency of the agency overseeing McCormick Place and Navy Pier.
The measure, which sets up a legislative panel to come up with recommendations by April 30 on how to make McPier profitable, went to the Senate on a 113-0 vote.
Get the full story »
