A new $155 million plan to revamp Chicago’s Navy Pier calls for the construction of a new boutique hotel at the pier’s east end as well as the expansion of both the Chicago Children’s Museum and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. 

The plan was unveiled Thursday by members of Navy Pier, Inc., the non-profit organization which will take over Navy Pier operations beginning Friday.

The new plan is much more modest than a $2 billion renovation proposed back in 2006. The scaling back reflects calls from politicians and the public to keep the pier first and foremost a public gathering place rather than a glorified theme park. 

Located on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is the largest tourist attraction in the state of Illinois.

Source: Chicago Business