What to do with Navy Pier

I would say, and I don't think I am alone here, that Navy Pier is one of the most under utilized pieces of Chicago real estate. Sure it has its charms, the ferris wheel, the newly added balloon ride, the IMAX and a smattering of restaurants, most of which are unremarkable. So it begs the question, how, can Navy Pier be better utilized?

I've often argued in my blog about how Chicago needs a casino. People are going to gamble, no matter what, why not keep them from going to Indiana (or Des Plains). At first I thought maybe to place a casino in the theater district, that it would compliment the area well and add something else to do in the area, not to mention density. Could, however, Navy Pier be another, better location? There are pro's and cons. A casino itself would be great here, but I don't think it could be the typical hotel/casino combo that has worked out so well in the past, as Navy Pier has poor automobile access/transit access. I happen to feel though that Navy Pier is a wonderful asset that we aren't using to it's fullest potential.

In addition to being a tourist destination, bringing in more outside money that would be taxed, it would add lots of jobs. The critics say that it would be a magnet for corruption, well maybe, but if you got a national chain of casinos in there, like Harrah's, the chances of some shady business going on would be greatly diminished. I welcome your thoughts on the matter.