Chicago, IL, May 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Magnificent Mile® Visitor Center opens at the corners of Michigan and Chicago Avenues at 9am on Thursday, May 25, 2023, with a grand celebration. 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins and The Magnificent Mile Association President and CEO, Kimberly Bares, will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the official opening. The NASCAR Street Crew will join in the excitement by serving coffee at the Center Thursday morning, water will be provided by Walgreens, and the team from Eataly Chicago will have mini cannoli for passerbyers to enjoy.
The purpose of The Magnificent Mile Visitor Center is to offer visitors, employees, and residents of the district the ability to connect with The Magnificent Mile Ambassadors from 9am to 10pm daily throughout the rest of the year. People can come to the Center for recommendations on exciting experiences in the district, get directions, request an escort to their car, seek assistance securing a taxi, or obtain other district-related assistance. Over 1.6 million people (about the population of North Dakota and South Dakota combined) passed through the corners of Michigan and Chicago Avenues in April 2023, making it a popular intersection in the district.
Chicagoans may recall that the Visitor Center was formerly a newsstand that inhabited the corner for several decades. They will be delighted to see how the structure has been refurbished and converted into a welcome center on Michigan Avenue. JCDecaux, the owner of the former newsstand turned Visitor Center, graciously assigned the lease to The Magnificent Mile Association with funding from The Association’s Special Service Area 76.
“The opening of a Visitor Center on Michigan Avenue has been a vision of The Magnificent Mile Association for many years, and we are grateful to the Commissioners of SSA 76 and JCDecaux for helping bring our vision to life,” stated Kimberly Bares. “For decades, people have enjoyed spending time on Michigan Avenue. In the past year, we have welcomed over 20 million visitors to North Michigan Avenue, which is far more than any other high street in the U.S. Similarly, our employees in the district are back and our resident population continues to grow. We want to make sure there are resources at the Visitor Center so everyone has an enjoyable experience in our district.”
In conjunction with the grand opening, The Magnificent Mile Association will release a 2023 update on key metrics for the district, pointing to a strong recovery for the multi-use area. Interested parties can download the metrics on Thursday, May 25 after 10am at www.TheMagnficentMileAssociation.com.
About The Magnificent Mile® Association
The Magnificent Mile® Association is a private, non-profit membership organization with a mission of preserving, promoting, and enhancing one of Chicago’s most unique, multi-use neighborhoods. In addition to international marketing and planning popular consumer programming year-round. The Association also serves its members with district planning and beautification and incomparable networking opportunities. Members include real estate properties, retail shops, hotels, restaurants, entertainment establishments, institutional and residential properties and various professional services. North Michigan Avenue, also known as The Magnificent Mile, is one of the great avenues of the world. Nestled among the skyscrapers and within blocks of the city’s beautiful lakefront, North Michigan Avenue is where residents, business people, shoppers and visitors come to feel magnificent.
About Special Service Area 76
SSA 76 is a locally controlled and locally funded taxing district designed to develop programs that attract consumers, create a safe and secure district, and lead public way enhancements. SSA #76 North Michigan Avenue was established on January 1, 2022, and is bounded by the west side of Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River north to Oak Street, the east side of Michigan Avenue, and from the Chicago River north to Oak Street.
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