(Left) Work on the Chicago Riverwalk east of Dearborn Street on Tuesday included the walkway under the bridge. Planters are ready for landscaping that will show up in spring. Glass has been installed in the north-facing tenant spaces of the arcade under Wacker Drive. (Click on image to view larger version.)

January 31, 2015 – The city has invited prospective operators of concessions on the Chicago Riverwalk to a conference before bids are submitted.

The conference is scheduled for February 5 at 11 a.m. in the second floor meeting room of 30 North LaSalle Street, where the city’s Department of Fleet and Facility Management, 2FM for short, is located. A site visit to the Riverwalk, that was supposed to follow the conference, was rescheduled to February 10 due to cold weather.

The city is looking for “food and beverage, recreational, cultural, and educational operators of concessions with the qualifications and expertise necessary to develop, promote, and operate for the 2015 season.”

Bids will be due by noon on March 9.

Prospective bidders may submit questions prior to the conference to 2FM’s Michelle Woods at michelle.woods@cityofchicago.org.

There has been no formal announcement regarding who will operate the Chicago Riverwalk and manage the concessions. The city received one bid, from a company owned by MB Real Estate Services. The city has the right to reject this or any proposal and issue a new request.