CHICAGO, June 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Navy Pier, one
of the top nonprofit cultural destinations in the Midwest, will
receive a gift of $5 million from
Peoples Gas. The donation will fund the future Peoples Energy
Welcome Pavilion in Polk Bros Park, the entryway to Navy Pier's
50-acre cultural district. The gift honors a 100-year partnership
with Navy Pier, one of the company's first commercial customers.
The organizations also share proud histories of community service
through a range of cultural and civic activities.
Sporting a signature landscaped roof with panoramic views, the
4,000-square foot Welcome Pavilion will greet guests with a café,
amenities, and information about all the Pier offers. It will be
the focal point for the more than 9 million annual guests from
Chicago, and around the world, who
enjoy Navy Pier's programming and special events, activities and
attractions.
"As Chicago's first and longest-serving utility company with
deep Chicago roots, we are pleased
to be the company that welcomes our neighbors and millions of other
guests to Chicago's premier
lakefront destination every year," said Charles Matthews, president and chief executive
officer of Peoples Gas. "Navy Pier's programming, year-round events
and future redevelopment plans are clearly aligned with our focus
areas of giving – education, culture and the arts, community and
neighborhood development, and the environment."
Environmental sustainability is a vital part of Navy Pier's
redevelopment program, known as "the Centennial Vision," making the
Welcome Pavilion an integral addition to the complex. It will
pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Certification and will host an energy efficiency educational
exhibit. The building also will showcase a display of the company's
rich heritage and never-before-seen historical photos and
documents, including items from the 1860s.
"On behalf of Navy Pier, the People's Pier, we are grateful for
this generous contribution and the ongoing support from Peoples Gas
as we work together to build the Welcome Pavilion as a gateway to
new, exciting experiences for our guests," said Marilynn Kelly Gardner, president and CEO of
Navy Pier. "As a nonprofit, part of our mission is to demonstrate
environmental sustainability with facilities that improve the
vitality of the lives of our guests and show what it means to be
the People's Pier. This is a cornerstone of our Centennial Vision
redevelopment. We are proud to share this commitment with Peoples
Gas."
"Navy Pier is Chicago's
welcoming lakefront treasure and one of the most visited cultural
destinations in the city, offering free arts and cultural
programming, engaging exhibits and unparalleled entertainment
experiences," Mayor Rahm Emanuel
said. "I am grateful to Peoples Gas for their $5 million investment in this landmark
institution which will help Navy Pier continue on its
transformational redevelopment in its second century – providing a
green, sustainable welcome center that will greet the millions of
guests who visit the Pier each year."
The Peoples Gas gift is the latest major contribution to Navy
Pier's Centennial Vision redevelopment, following a legacy gift and
grants from the Polk Bros. Foundation for Polk Bros Park and
related programs, and generous support from Aon, recognized with
the naming of the Aon Grand Ballroom.
For more information on the Centennial Vision, Navy Pier's
framework for a reimagined Pier, visit www.navypier.com.
Navy Pier Mission Statement
Navy Pier is the People's
Pier, Chicago's lakefront
treasure, welcoming all and offering dynamic and eclectic
experiences through partnerships and programs that inspire
discovery and wonder.
About Navy Pier
Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is one of the
top-attended leisure destinations in the Midwest, stretching more
than six city blocks and welcoming more than 9 million guests
annually. 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. In 2017, Navy Pier continues to celebrate its
centennial with a series of special events and programming,
year-round rides on the Centennial Wheel and ongoing
pier-wide redevelopment efforts as part of the Centennial Vision.
Navy Pier, as a nonprofit organization, maintains and manages the
50-acre pier that is being redeveloped as a contemporary,
environmentally responsible urban space. More information is
available at www.navypier.com.
About Peoples Gas
Peoples Gas is a subsidiary of WEC
Energy Group (NYSE: WEC) and is a regulated natural gas delivery
company serving approximately 830,000 residential, commercial and
industrial customers in the city of Chicago. For more information about natural
gas safety, energy efficiency and other energy-related topics,
visit www.peoplesgasdelivery.com.
About Polk Bros Park
Polk Bros
Park serves as Navy Pier's green front door. In 2014, the
Polk Bros. Foundation set a precedent for philanthropic support
with their generous and transformational gift, which has created
the 13-acre park for guests to gather, engage and enjoy.
The Polk Bros Park Fountain and Plaza opened last summer during
Navy Pier's Centennial year as the Park's first phase. The
welcoming space has been host to an array of free programming,
including an interactive art installation, fireworks viewing and
dynamic youth dance performances. Significant new, free community
programming will be a part of the parks redeveloped landscape, as
the Performance Lawns in Polk Bros Park open in July 2017. It also will be home to the
4,000-square foot Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion.
CONTACTS
Payal Patel,
Navy Pier
312.595.5073 | ppatel@navypier.com
Vanessa Hall, Peoples Gas
312.240.4774 | vhall@peoplesgasdelivery.com
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SOURCE Navy Pier