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Chicago on track to meet mayor’s 50 million visitor milestone by 2020
DestinationsChicago hosted a near-record 46.2 million visitors last year, with growth in overnight leisure travel driving the city back to pre-recession levels. The total is a 6.1 percent increase over 2011, and brings the city close to its 2007 record of 46.3 million visitors, according to data to be unveiled Tuesday by Mayor Rahm Emanuel [...]
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Chicago gives pedestrians a break in people versus cars scramble
TransportPeople began walking diagonally through a busy downtown Chicago intersection Friday, part of an experiment to provide extra breathing room between vehicles and pedestrians. The changes center on a new pedestrian crossing pattern, dubbed the “pedestrian scramble,” that was introduced at the intersection of State Street and Jackson Boulevard. The goals include giving pedestrians a [...]
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Chicago Cubs chairman threatens to leave Wrigley if he doesn’t get his way
DestinationsChicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts for the first time threatened to move the team out of Wrigley Field if it doesn’t receive government approval for more signs in the outfield, including a giant video scoreboard. “I’m not sure how anyone is going to stop the signs in the outfield, but if it comes to the [...]
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Chicago launches bike-sharing website before June debut
DestinationsHundreds of three-speed bikes painted “Chicago blue” will hit the streets in June when the city debuts a bicycle-sharing rental program that originally was set to launch last summer. Operating under the name Divvy, which is intended to convey the idea of sharing bikes, the system will start out with about 75 solar-powered docking stations [...]
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Chicago neighborhoods are fighting over an Obama presidential library that Hawaii may get
DestinationsPresident Barack Obama has worked to avoid racial politics during much of his presidency. Now, the structure promoting his legacy is at risk of getting caught up in them. A debate is brewing over the site of an Obama presidential library, one that primarily pits the leafy academic setting of the University of Chicago against [...]
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Chicago mayor’s intentions questioned after taking donations from hoteliers
DestinationsOn his first day in office, Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed a series of executive orders banning political giving from lobbyists and contractors doing business with the city, part of his campaign pledge to move City Hall beyond the pay-to-play culture that has earned Chicago a national reputation. “Government can no longer be an insider’s game, [...]
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Chicago Cubs wrangle with residents over plans for $500 million renovation
DestinationsThe Chicago Cubs have been fighting for years to get back to the World Series. They may have a fight on their hands to upgrade Wrigley Field, too. The Cubs unveiled details Monday of their $500 million plan to renovate the 99-year-old ballpark. It calls for more night games, a new hotel, a new clubhouse, [...]
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Choose Chicago’s budget doubles to $32 million thanks to hotel tax increase
DestinationsChoose Chicago, the city’s tourism and convention bureau, is expecting its annual budget to nearly double this fiscal year, to $32.6 million, as it pulls in a portion of the city’s hotel tax increase, enacted last year, as well as a relatively new tax on airport taxi rides. While still outgunned by such rival convention [...]
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Obama presidential library: Battle between Chicago and Honolulu is on
DestinationsWhere will President Barack Obama put his presidential library? Four years from the end of his presidency, Chicago and Honolulu are ramping up major campaigns to build the center that will house the records of America’s 44th president. In Illinois and Hawaii, the two states Obama calls home, universities and community groups are drafting plans [...]
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Hawaii tempts New Yorkers, Chicagoans with $500K marketing campaign
DestinationsThe Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau heavily promoting the state to New York and Chicago this month. CEO John Monahan said Monday the agency wants to increase demand to support existing flights from the New York area. The agency also wants to increase flights from Chicago. He says carriers have lowered airfares to attract passengers. [...]
