Warning: Use of undefined constant WPLANG - assumed 'WPLANG' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php on line 88

Warning: Use of undefined constant WPLANG - assumed 'WPLANG' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php on line 89

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php:88) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1713

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php:88) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1713

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php:88) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1713

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php:88) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1713

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php:88) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1713

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php:88) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1713

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php:88) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1713

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-content/plugins/wp-resized-image-quality-2/wp-resized-image-quality.php:88) in /home/urbanpla/public_html/2016/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1713
{"id":3058,"date":"2015-04-30T12:45:44","date_gmt":"2015-04-30T12:45:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/?p=3058"},"modified":"2016-04-21T00:55:32","modified_gmt":"2016-04-21T00:55:32","slug":"chicagos-next-big-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words by Kristin Doherty | Photography Provided by Breakwater Chicago | April 30, 2015<\/p>\n

First there was Navy Pier. Then the Sears Tower and The Bean. And now Chicago\u2019s next big tourist attraction is on its way: Breakwater Chicago<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"F1\"<\/a>
On Breakwater, visitors will be able to use ample deck and pool space while enjoying an unprecedented view of the Chicago skyline.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But this new attraction is more like The Bean than the famous skyscraper or pier \u2014 it can\u2019t be easily described. Ashvin Lad, the vice president and co-founder of Breakwater, puts it like this: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a destination for boaters and non-boaters that will enhance access to the lake for people in Chicago.\u201d Put more simply, Breakwater Chicago is a one-part island, one-part yacht that will float in Lake Michigan. The project has been in the works since 2013 and will take to the lake in May of 2016.<\/p>\n

The plan is to create a 300-by-100-foot vessel that floats about a mile off shore during the summer. In the winter, it\u2019ll be anchored to shore and covered with an insulating dome. On the island-yacht, visitors will have access to three restaurants, a nightclub, and a spa. Pools cover most of the vessel\u2019s surface \u2014 \u201cin Chicago, there\u2019s not a lot of pools unless you\u2019re in a condo building or a hotel,\u201d Lad says. But its biggest selling point? \u201cIt\u2019s a one-stop-shop for boaters and non-boaters to experience the lake\u2026and a skyline view of Chicago.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project\u2019s cofounders include Beau D\u2019Arcy, a mechanical engineer with a Harvard Business School degree, and Lad, a biomedical and chemical engineer with a decade of business development experience. In 2013, the duo started planning Breakwater for Chicago \u2014 and not just because they\u2019re from the area. The inspiration came after noticing a lack of attractions for the 6,000 boaters in Chicago\u2019s large harbor system. \u201cFor boaters, there are no destinations at all,\u201d Lad says. Breakwater solves this: Boaters no longer have to travel hours to Indiana or Michigan to explore someplace new. They pay an hourly docking fee, which varies depending on the time of year and day of the week and covers access to all of Breakwater\u2019s amenities. And for those who don\u2019t own boats? To get to the island-yacht, a water taxi ride costs an average of $20.<\/p>\n

But the focus isn\u2019t just on visitors. Once Breakwater takes to the lake, it\u2019ll serve the lake\u2019s ecosystem. The boat\u2019s hull will mimic a coral reef, which will promote seaweed and algae growth while providing a habitat for wildlife. In the winter, exhaust the vessel generates will heat the dome, and they\u2019ll use the cool lake temperatures to help with food refrigeration and other cooling.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Breakwater<\/a>

Breakwater was designed to look like a yacht so it would blend in with other boats on the water.<\/p><\/div>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But an innovative project like this one doesn\u2019t come without challenges \u2014 the biggest one being the permitting process. Breakwater will need approvals from the Coast Guard and various state and city departments. So far, they haven\u2019t gotten any official permits yet. \u201cWe\u2019ve gotten [an unofficial] thumbs-up from everyone we need a thumbs-up from. We\u2019ve always been told to keep moving forward,\u201d Lad says. Getting those permits is more difficult for the floating vessel than a land-based space, too. Lad says the approvers often aren\u2019t exactly sure how to permit and what to look for in something that\u2019s never existed before.<\/p>\n

\"F3\"<\/a><\/p>\n\n

The other challenge: setting a timeline. Originally, the Breakwater team estimated a summer 2015 opening date. Now, the opening date will depend on funding. Breakwater could cost more than $20 million, and the capital-raising process is ongoing. The first of two rounds of funding, which closed last fall, covered architectural design and engineering, Lad says. It also included a Kickstarter campaign<\/a>, which raised more than $60,000 from over 700 backers \u2014 twice its original goal. Those funds were used to purchase 3D video equipment and a 1:100 scale model, which the team will use during its second round of funding to show potential investors more realistic mock-ups of Breakwater. The second half of capital raised will go toward actual construction. But Lad is confident that the capital will come. \u201cInvestors to date are all Chicago-based \u2014 people who love the lake and want to be part of something unique and iconic,\u201d he says. \u201cThere is plenty of excitement to back the project.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the excitement continues, Breakwater might just come to sit alongside Navy Pier and the Sears Tower on Chicago\u2019s list of attractions. And whatever comes next will have a lot to live up to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Breakwater Chicago will let tourists, boaters, and locals experience the Windy City in a new way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[49,88,89,213,253],"yoast_head":"\nChicago\u2019s Next Big Thing | Urban Plains<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing | Urban Plains\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Breakwater Chicago will let tourists, boaters, and locals experience the Windy City in a new way.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Urban Plains\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UrbanPlains\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-04-30T12:45:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-04-21T00:55:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/F2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"573\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Urbanplains\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Urbanplains\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/person\/327b16822f73300b09b5ae06f9e8fbfb\"},\"headline\":\"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-04-30T12:45:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-04-21T00:55:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/\"},\"wordCount\":790,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Chicago attractions\",\"floating island\",\"floating islands\",\"places to go in Chicago\",\"things to do in Chicago\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Culture\",\"Innovation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/\",\"name\":\"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing | Urban Plains\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-04-30T12:45:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-04-21T00:55:32+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/\",\"name\":\"Urban Plains\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Urban Plains\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/UPweblogo2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/UPweblogo2.png\",\"width\":216,\"height\":216,\"caption\":\"Urban Plains\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/urban_plains\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/UrbanPlains\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UrbanPlains\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Urbanplains\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/person\/327b16822f73300b09b5ae06f9e8fbfb\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/efa9ebe041a654ad0448260e44d8fd1c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/efa9ebe041a654ad0448260e44d8fd1c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing | Urban Plains","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing | Urban Plains","og_description":"Breakwater Chicago will let tourists, boaters, and locals experience the Windy City in a new way.","og_url":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/","og_site_name":"Urban Plains","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UrbanPlains","article_published_time":"2015-04-30T12:45:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-04-21T00:55:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":573,"url":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/F2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Urbanplains","twitter_site":"@Urbanplains","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/person\/327b16822f73300b09b5ae06f9e8fbfb"},"headline":"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing","datePublished":"2015-04-30T12:45:44+00:00","dateModified":"2016-04-21T00:55:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/"},"wordCount":790,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#organization"},"keywords":["Chicago attractions","floating island","floating islands","places to go in Chicago","things to do in Chicago"],"articleSection":["Culture","Innovation"],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/","url":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/","name":"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing | Urban Plains","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#website"},"datePublished":"2015-04-30T12:45:44+00:00","dateModified":"2016-04-21T00:55:32+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/innovation\/chicagos-next-big-thing\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Chicago\u2019s Next Big Thing"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#website","url":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/","name":"Urban Plains","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#organization","name":"Urban Plains","url":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/UPweblogo2.png","contentUrl":"http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/UPweblogo2.png","width":216,"height":216,"caption":"Urban Plains"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/urban_plains\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/UrbanPlains","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UrbanPlains","https:\/\/twitter.com\/Urbanplains"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/person\/327b16822f73300b09b5ae06f9e8fbfb","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/efa9ebe041a654ad0448260e44d8fd1c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/efa9ebe041a654ad0448260e44d8fd1c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"url":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3058"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3058"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3058\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5379,"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3058\/revisions\/5379"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}