August 23, 1985 – Under the headline
“Tattered Navy Pier Finds Dance Card Empty,” the Chicago Tribune describes the sorry condition of the municipal pier
at the end of Illinois Street and Grand Avenue, finished in 1916 for $4
million. According to the paper, “…the
unique 3,000-foot pier has deteriorated to the point that its sewer system has
been plugged up and its roofs are sieves.
The upper walkways are too dangerous, and the floors of lower storage
rooms can barely support their own weight.”
The pier has no adequate fire protection system, so that any event held
there must keep a fire engine standing by.
With one exception, a major event has not been held at the pier since
the inauguration of Mayor Harold Washington two years earlier. Joe Wilson of the Department of Public Works
says, “I don’t think $60 million would give you much more than the basic
structure, but it depends on what you want.”
Wilson says that an average of 20 people visit the pier on weekdays and
about 75 on weekends.” The above photo shows the east end of the pier in the 1980's.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
August 23, 1985 -- Navy Pier -- a Forgotten Gem
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