Breakwater Chicago was a proposed vessel being designed as a part island, part yacht resort, situated on Lake Michigan in the United States, floating about 1.1 miles (1.8 km) off Chicago's shore line.[1]
The proposed Breakwater Chicago vessel was to be about the size of an American football field, approximately 300 by 100 feet (91 by 30 m),[2] and was planned to include sun-decks, restaurants, a large swimming pool, and shops.[3]
The concept for Breakwater Chicago was developed by local entrepreneur Beau D'Arcy. The architect of record for the design of the vessel is Chicago-based firm Space Architects + Planners.[4] As of June 2014[update], the entire project was estimated to cost about $23 million, equivalent to $29.6 million in 2023.[5][6] Water taxis would have taken people to the resort, and people would also be able to dock boats at 30 slips.[7] The vessel would have had a capacity of 2,850 people,[8] and would have been moored on the lake with an anchoring system called "spuds" resting on top of the lake-bed[9] that could have been pulled up in case of a weather emergency so the vessel could be moved to another location.[10]
As of June 2014[update], the project was in its design phase with construction planned for the summer of 2015. The project was announced to the public on June 9, 2014, alongside a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, which raised more than $60,000 in donations from local supporters in the first month.[11]
