Plans Unveiled for Navy Pier Marina to Open June 2025

‘Navy Pier Marina Day’ marks kick-off to summer boating season

CHICAGO (May 28, 2025) – 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