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.
UPDATE: 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 Pier plans to reopen in spring 2021.
Details: https://t.co/kHsCTAja1p pic.twitter.com/Vl2Ageu87S
— Navy Pier (@NavyPier) August 18, 2020
"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.