NPM Venture LLC
today announced details of the highly
anticipated, June 2025
opening of Navy
Pier Marina.
The only marina to offer transient boaters access to Navy Pier and the city at
its doorstep,
Navy Pier Marina will provide a home in the heart of Chicago for boaters
from
across the city and suburbs,
and around the Great Lakes.
It
will
also
be
a rendezvous for boating groups
seeking unique and modern mooring facilities.
“What
an incredible and exciting day for me, my family, and our entire development team”
said Randy D. Podolsky, developer and driving force behind Navy Pier Marina. “We persevered and are now able to bring long-awaited recreational boater access to Navy Pier.
Being a Chicago native and a passionate boater since 1983, having envisioned this
project a decade ago, I could not be
more proud
of everyone who took part—and believed in—making
this dream come true!”
According
to Podolsky, in addition to accommodating recreational boaters, Navy Pier Marina will offer limited availability to seasonal commercial vessels, including fishing, sailing, dive and social charters, boat clubs, cruises, dealers, and other boat-share operations.
The
marina will also be a site for high-profile boat shows, including the inaugural Chicago International Boat Show, slated for Aug. 21-24, 2025. Produced by
Revel
Republic,
producer of the
highly successful
Newport Beach International Boat Show and San Diego International Boat Show,
the Chicago International Boat Show at Navy Pier Marina
will feature an exclusive lineup of luxury boats, yachts, and watercraft, alongside
curated showcases from luxury automotive brands, private aviation, and world-class culinary experiences.
Navy
Pier Marina Amenities
Navy
Pier Marina will offer lunch and dinner
hourly tie-ups as well as
overnight
and extended
stays.
Boaters can
moor up
with friends and family
to
eat,
ride the Centennial Wheel,
experience Flyover Chicago, catch a show at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, or enjoy
the
Chicago
Children’s Museum and scores of other
attractions
at
Navy Pier and
its
surrounding neighborhoods.
Broadside
(side-tie) mooring for vessels up to 183 feet
in length
will be available
on modern floating piers.
The flexible
dock design even allows cleats to be repositioned
for vessel tie-up.
Marina amenities
include an easy-to-use online reservation system
and
concierge-quality service,
along with
power and water hookups,
Wi-Fi,
and
pump-out service.
Designed
to fit in harmony with Navy Pier, the
unique two-story boater amenities
building
has been
constructed from
single-use
shipping containers, resulting in a modern facility with a retro look and minimal environmental impact. The building will
house the marina office,
ship’s store,
restrooms, showers,
boater’s
lounge,
on-site laundry,
bicycle repair station,
and
pet-friendly
relief station.
The
Fulfillment of a Dream
“The
phrase,
‘It takes a village,’ has never been
more true
than in this moment,”
said Marilynn Gardner, President and CEO of Navy Pier. “This
magnificent marina
represents the culmination of 10 years of tireless work and
tens of thousands of
‘people power’
hours
from conception through what you see here today.”
Additional
information, including access to the marina’s reservation system, can be found at
navypiermarina.com.
ABOUT
NPM VENTURE
Operating
as Navy Pier Marina,
NPM Venture LLC
is
privately
funded and entrepreneurially operated. It is the brainchild and passion project
of Chicago native Randy
D. Podolsky.
Since starting
his boating adventures in 1983, Podolsky has envisioned a recreational marina
at Navy Pier, which would provide
unprecedented waterborne access to the People’s Pier.
Podolsky
has been
an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary since 1991 and served as the elected District Commodore of the Ninth District Western Region in 2009
and 2010, overseeing the operations of
more than
1,100 uniformed volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliary members.
To provide financial and physical resources for local Auxiliary units,
he formed the NFP
Waukegan
Water Safety Association
in 2001. Podolsky has been an active member of the Chicago-area
commercial real estate scene since 1976
when
we started his career at Arthur Rubloff & Co.
Since
1979, he has headed
Podolsky
& Associates
in Riverwoods, Ill. He has been working on the development of Navy Pier Marina
since 2016 and is excited to
turn
his vision
into a reality
for all
recreational
boaters interested in an easy-to-reserve transient mooring in the heart of Chicago.
ABOUT
NAVY PIER
Located
on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is the top nonprofit tourism destination in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and typically welcoming
nearly 9 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, exposition facilities, and more. The Pier celebrated its 100th
anniversary in 2016 with the unveiling of the iconic Centennial Wheel,
Polk Bros Park,
Family Pavilion, and
Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion.
Today, Navy Pier continues to usher in its second century with ongoing Pier-wide redevelopment efforts
– including Sable, a 223-room Hilton hotel, new
restaurant and retail partnerships, and thrilling new attractions such as Flyover
Chicago. The Pier is proud to present free, year-round cultural programming designed to inspire, educate, and connect communities across the city and globe.
ABOUT
NPM PARTNER
CONTRACTORS
-
Edgewater
Resources: edgewaterresources.com -
J.F.
Brennan: jfbrennan.com -
S.I.
Container Builds: sicbs.com
-
Structurmarine:
structurmarine.com -
Marina
Electrical Equipment:
marinaee.com