Today, Navy Pier is one of Chicago’s most iconic tourist destinations, blending perhaps a flair for old timey fun with top of the line restaurants, lakeside boating access and vendors that line the boardwalk, from adult beverages for mom and dad to flavored nuts and cotton candy for the kids. However, as recently as 1989, Navy Pier was bordering on disrepair, overlooked by city government and underutilized despite its prime real estate. Originally opened in 1916, Navy Pier was once the largest pier in the world, housing military personnel, Red Cross teams and homeland defense units. Soon after, it began to take shape as an entertainment hub, opening a theater, largely to entertain the stationed soldiers, in addition to a street car line and an emergency room. The structure was first christened as “Navy Pier” in 1927 to honor the many Navy sailors who were spending the majority of their years stationed in Chicago.