Observation deck operator in former John Hancock Center plans major expansion and a new ‘immersive experience'
It's an encouraging sign for the Magnificent Mile, a retail district that has a lot of empty storefronts.
Magnicity, the French company that owns 360 Chicago, last year bought the 95th and 96th floors, directly above the 94th-floor observation deck, after the abrupt closure of the legendary Signature Room restaurant and the Signature Lounge, both top tourist spots for decades.
'We are now positioned to bring much-needed investment into these iconic spaces, delivering an experience that truly reflects the historic and architectural significance of this incredible building,' said Nichole Benolken, managing director at 360 Chicago.
Although 360 Chicago didn't provide many details about what visitors will experience in the expanded observation deck, it did drop a few hints.
WB-Immersive, a global firm that helped design the opening ceremonies for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2024 Paralympics, will create an immersive experience for visitors in the renovated spaces, which will also include new exhibits and attractions.
'I can't say too much because we are still in the conceptual design phase,' said Pierre-Antoine Batail, WB-Immersive's head of creative strategy.
It's certain that the space will no longer host a restaurant, Benolken said. Immersive retail experiences, such as the new interactive exhibit dedicated to Harry Potter at 676 N. Michigan Ave., have become popular in downtown Chicago, and for many spaces now make more financial sense than restaurants.
'Our decision making was data- and research-driven,' she said. 'The dining scene in Chicago has evolved dramatically in the past 30 years.'
The Signature Room closed in September 2023. Its shutdown was a blow to the Magnificent Mile, where the retail vacancy rate soared as a result of online shopping trends and the pandemic. A message posted to the restaurant's social media pages cited COVID-19 and subsequent 'severe economic hardship.'
Magnicity invested about $17 million into the former John Hancock Center, the skyscraper now known as 875 North Michigan Avenue, after buying the 94th floor more than 10 years ago. It added attractions such as Tilt, a moving glass ledge that for two minutes dangles guests more than 1,000 feet above the street, and CloudBar, the highest bar in Chicago.
Nearly 1 million people visit the observation deck each year, a roughly 60% boost from when Magnicity took over, Benolken said.
The company operates similar attractions atop buildings in Berlin, Paris and Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The three-floor reconstruction will take 18 to 24 months to complete, and is the most significant interior renovation in the building's 56-year history, said Scott Duncan, design partner at SOM, the architectural firm that designed the 100-story John Hancock Center and leads the current project.
SOM plans to connect all three floors with a grand staircase, replace all the windows on the 94th, 95th and 96th floors, providing visitors with much clearer views, and transform the 96th floor into a private event space, he said. That will also raise the profile of 875 North Michigan Avenue, hopefully attracting the many office users seeking spaces in the city's top trophy buildings.
'People are now looking for something out of the ordinary when it comes to office space,' Duncan said. 'And the real pyrotechnics will come when the (observation deck's) new exhibits are revealed.'
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uTalk Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (150+ Languages)
DescriptionInstructorImportant DetailsReviewsRelated Products uTalk can help you start speaking like a native within minutes. Using the uTalk learning App you can listen to real native speakers to help you navigate through your next vacation or business trip. We all learned a language as children so you'd think we'd know how to learn one as adults? But somewhere along the line - maybe because of all the other info we've been cramming into our brains since then - we've forgotten the trick of it. One thing for sure though is that our childhood ability to learn a language wasn't dependent on reciting verbs and conjugations. And it wasn't dependent on using voice recognition technology when our own ears did the job. So learning a language with uTalk is child's play for all the right reasons. With more than 2,500 words and phrases to learn in each of our 150+ languages, the app gives you a running start on your journey to language fluency. Simple and easy to use, you have fun as you develop your language skills naturally - just like you did with your first language. Every single word you hear on the app is spoken by authentic native speakers so you're constantly immersed in your new language. And, because uTalk mirrors the way we all learn best as children, it lets you learn what you want, when you want, so you can progress at your own pace. Sometimes, even in this age of screens and technology, we could all do with learning the way Mother Nature intended. uTalk's language programs let you understand how native speakers actually talk and feature independently verified translations so you'll be able to navigate through your next vacation or business trip and speak like a real local. You can learn any of our languages from your own language too, so whether you are a Spanish speaker who wants to learn Arabic, an English Speaker who wants to learn Spanish, or a French speaker who wants to learn Urdu, we've got you covered. The uTalk learning method is tried and trusted by more than 30 Million users. Access to all 150 + languages for life (see Important Details for full list) to learn from any device, any time you want Discover real, practical vocabulary that you can use in real-world situations Measure your achievements as you go along Verify your learning by playing speaking games Over 60 different topics to help you learn Learn from native voice artists who really know what they're talking about Access your account from any device so you can pick up where you left off anywhere Awards & Reviews The Queen's Award for Innovation and Export The Chartered Institute of Language Threlford Cup Winner 2019 4.3/5 stars on IOS App Store: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Important Details Get a lifetime access to all and any of uTalk's 140 languages, including: Afrikaans Albanian Amharic Arabic (Egyptian) Arabic (Gulf) Arabic (Lebanese) Arabic (Modern Standard) Arabic (Moroccan) Armenian Assamese Azerbaijani Basque Belarusian Bengali Bosnian Breton Bulgarian Burmese Cantonese Catalan Cebuano Chibemba Chichewa Chinese (Hakka) Chinese (Mandarin) Cornish Croatian Czech Danish Dari Dutch Dzongkha English (American) English (Australian) English (British) English (Canadian) English (Cockney) English (Indian) English (Scottish) Esperanto Estonian Fijian Filipino (Tagalog) Finnish Flemish French French (Canadian) Galician Georgian German German (Swiss) Greek Greek (Ancient) Greenlandic Gujarati Haitian Creole Hausa Hawaiian Hebrew And more. Check full list here Length of access: lifetime To view complete terms and conditions, click here Have questions on how digital purchases work? Learn more here Learn more about our Lifetime deals here ! Unredeemed licenses can be returned for store credit within 30 days of purchase. Once your license is redeemed, all sales are final. This item is excluded from coupons. All reviews are from verified purchasers collected after purchase. The web interface feels clunky and you must download an app to really use it. The lessons leave a bit to be desired As an educator, uTalk misses out on a lot of the effective teaching techniques such as spaced repetition and feels like a flashcard app. However, I am giving it credit for having excellent coverage of languages as there are more than 100 options compared to the 14 or so offered by most other language apps. Estoy muy complacido con esta aplicación móvil y, además, tengo acceso a través de la web. Es vitalicia. Excellent value, and best language selection . This is one of the few apps I found which offers tagalog as an option. haven't had time to get too far into it yet, but enjoying the basics so far. can't give it a five star rating until i see how well i'm able to learn these languages. All the major world languages are covered. There is the same basic sequence of language learning for all the languages. The situations are mostly identical. Your cart is empty. Continue Shopping! Made in Venice, CA & powered by
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If you're giving someone a lift to the airport this summer, watch out for 'kiss and fly' fees – the charges airports impose for dropping passengers near the terminal. More than half of UK airports have increased these fees since last July, with some now demanding as much as £7 for a 10-minute stop, according to research by the RAC. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these charges, or at least keep them to a minimum – but you may need to be prepared to walk a little further with their luggage. Here, Telegraph Money explains how kiss and fly fees work, why they have been introduced and what you can do to keep costs down. What are 'kiss and fly' fees? Why have so many airports introduced kiss and fly fees? Who pays kiss and fly fees and how much do they cost? How can you avoid kiss and fly fees? What are 'kiss and fly' fees? 'Kiss and fly' fees refer to the charges that airports apply when someone drops off a passenger outside the terminal, typically in a designated short-stay or drop-off zone. In most cases, you'll be charged a flat fee simply for stopping outside the airport for five to 10 minutes. Stay longer, and you'll likely be charged even more. On top of this, many airports are now switching to a barrier-less drop-off and pick-up system to help traffic flow more freely and reduce waiting times. However, this means that instead of paying there and then, drivers must remember to pay for parking either online or by phone once they are home. Failing to do so could result in penalty fees of up to £100. Why have so many airports introduced kiss and fly fees? One of the reasons airports say they have introduced these fees is to reduce congestion at terminal entrances. However, the charges also serve as a significant source of revenue, helping airports to cover rising operational costs. Patrick Bettle, from the aviation team at law firm Burges Salmon, said: 'Ultimately airports are businesses like any other. 'Kiss and fly' fees provide them with another valuable revenue stream, something that has become increasingly important in the wake of the disruption caused to the travel industry by the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Airports, particularly those that are subject to economic regulation by the Civil Aviation Authority, are limited in the amount of revenue they can generate through things like landing charges; 'kiss and fly' fees provide a useful non-aeronautical supplement to that.' But the disappearance of free drop-offs at UK airports is in sharp contrast to other major European airports, says the RAC analysis. Of the top 10 airports in the EU by passenger numbers, eight airports still permit free drop-offs, including Paris Charles de Gaulle, Madrid, Frankfurt, Barcelona and Rome. Who pays kiss and fly fees and how much do they cost? Kiss and fly fees must be paid by anyone dropping off a passenger outside the airport terminal. This includes friends and family members, as well as taxi and private hire drivers. Taxi drivers often incorporate the fee into the overall taxi fare but be sure to check. Drop-off charges can range anywhere from £3 to £7 for a five-to-30-minute stay. The table below outlines how these fees can vary, depending on the airport. Note that if you exceed the time allowed, you'll often be charged extra for each minute you stay. You'll also need to check how and when the payments need to be made – whether that's on-site or within 24 hours online or by phone. Missing this deadline could result in penalty charges. For drivers carrying out regular drop-offs, it may be worth setting up an auto pay account. How can you avoid kiss and fly fees? Some airports, including Heathrow, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Birmingham, waive drop-off fees altogether for Blue Badge holders. 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L.A. city leaders are in high-stakes negotiations on Olympics costs
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'We are grateful that the Administration and Congress recently appropriated $1 billion in security funding and we will continue to work with our partners at the federal, state and local levels, including the City of LA, to ensure a safe, secure and successful Games,' Prieto Lopez said in an email. How the $1 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill is distributed will be determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the Homeland Security Grant Program, which is focused on preventing terrorism and other threats. Anita Gore, a spokesperson for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, told The Times that she expects those funds to be managed by the state through the Homeland Security Grant process. The Office of Emergency Services is the 'coordination hub' for the Games and is overseeing a statewide task force focused on security, traffic management and more, Gore said. 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