41 min
The Fight to save Navy Pier’s Crystal Gardens Sip With Me
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- Entertainment News
In this special investigative episode, we speak with Celine Wysgalla, the Chicago resident who formed a now viral petition to save the Crystal Gardens, a free indoor botanical garden located on the famous Navy Pier. Plus, we discuss the muddied political history of Navy Pier that she found as wild as we did.
With almost 20,000 signatures in just a matter of days, it would appear it is only the beginning of the fight to save the Crystal Gardens, currently slated to be replaced by Illuminarium, a completely virtual attraction that utilizes footage from places like the African Safari and Outer Space to transport visitors elsewhere.
Opponents of the closure cite the increasingly important mental and emotional health benefits of green space as a reason to keep it open, and say the replacement of the gardens by an attraction that is completely devoid of any real nature, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, is “dystopian”.
The new attraction will cost you $30-50 per visit based on estimates and is seen by Navy Pier as being part of their longer term strategic plan for financial longevity and modernization.
We talk with Celine about her motivations for starting the petition and what she sees as a possible path forward. Plus, a statement to Sip With Me from Navy Pier, Inc.
But it doesn't end there. Did you know that in 2011 Navy Pier was spun off from government ownership, infused with millions in taxpayer dollars, and left to operate independent of taxpayer accountability as a not-for-profit organization? While that might sound nice, it leaves us feeling uneasy. In true Chicago political fashion, we discuss the complicated and sometimes corrupt history of Navy Pier and why several Local lawmakers have introduced bills to push for increased transparency with the non-profit following scandals involving former Governor George Ryan and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Follow the petition movement on Instagram:
@savecrystalgardens
Sign the petition:
https://www.change.org/p/navy-pier-save-the-crystal-gardens-at-navy-pier-chicago?lang=en-US
Follow “Sip With Me” or sign the petition:
https://linktr.ee/sipwithme_
Sources:
https://www.bettergov.org/news/greising-scrutiny-of-navy-pier-s-operations-is-long-overdue/
https://chicagoonthecheap.com/navy-pier-events/
https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/09/27/navy-piers-crystal-gardens-are-being-turned-into-virtual-scenery-but-residents-are-pushing-back-with-a-petition/
https://navypier.org/assets/Navy-Pier-Form-990_2019.pdf
In this special investigative episode, we speak with Celine Wysgalla, the Chicago resident who formed a now viral petition to save the Crystal Gardens, a free indoor botanical garden located on the famous Navy Pier. Plus, we discuss the muddied political history of Navy Pier that she found as wild as we did.
With almost 20,000 signatures in just a matter of days, it would appear it is only the beginning of the fight to save the Crystal Gardens, currently slated to be replaced by Illuminarium, a completely virtual attraction that utilizes footage from places like the African Safari and Outer Space to transport visitors elsewhere.
Opponents of the closure cite the increasingly important mental and emotional health benefits of green space as a reason to keep it open, and say the replacement of the gardens by an attraction that is completely devoid of any real nature, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, is “dystopian”.
The new attraction will cost you $30-50 per visit based on estimates and is seen by Navy Pier as being part of their longer term strategic plan for financial longevity and modernization.
We talk with Celine about her motivations for starting the petition and what she sees as a possible path forward. Plus, a statement to Sip With Me from Navy Pier, Inc.
But it doesn't end there. Did you know that in 2011 Navy Pier was spun off from government ownership, infused with millions in taxpayer dollars, and left to operate independent of taxpayer accountability as a not-for-profit organization? While that might sound nice, it leaves us feeling uneasy. In true Chicago political fashion, we discuss the complicated and sometimes corrupt history of Navy Pier and why several Local lawmakers have introduced bills to push for increased transparency with the non-profit following scandals involving former Governor George Ryan and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Follow the petition movement on Instagram:
@savecrystalgardens
Sign the petition:
https://www.change.org/p/navy-pier-save-the-crystal-gardens-at-navy-pier-chicago?lang=en-US
Follow “Sip With Me” or sign the petition:
https://linktr.ee/sipwithme_
Sources:
https://www.bettergov.org/news/greising-scrutiny-of-navy-pier-s-operations-is-long-overdue/
https://chicagoonthecheap.com/navy-pier-events/
https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/09/27/navy-piers-crystal-gardens-are-being-turned-into-virtual-scenery-but-residents-are-pushing-back-with-a-petition/
https://navypier.org/assets/Navy-Pier-Form-990_2019.pdf
41 min