NewsNational News

Actions

Chicago's iconic Navy Pier to shut down after Labor Day due to pandemic

Chicago's iconic Navy Pier to shut down after Labor Day due to pandemic
Posted at 9:48 AM, Aug 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-18 12:50:56-04

On Twitter, the iconic Navy Pier in Chicago announced they will shut down after Labor Day due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They hope to reopen in spring 2021.

"Navy Pier will implement a temporary Pier-wide closure starting Tues. 9/8 in an effort to limit the financial impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the organization & its on-site businesses," the tweet read. "The Pier plans to reopen in spring 2021."

The nonprofit that runs the Pier says they faced a $20 million deficit due to the pandemic.

“While this was a very difficult decision for the organization, it was a necessary one to proactively ensure the long-term success of one of Chicago’s most treasured and important civic institutions and the communities it serves,” said Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner in a press release. “This decision will also help preserve the future of the many on-site businesses, which continue to face hardships of their own as a result of the pandemic. The temporary closure will allow the Pier and its partners to reduce its operational expenses and support efforts to limit COVID-19 cases as we move into the fall and winter seasons.”

The closure will also impact that of more than 70 small local businesses that operate on the Pier.