"McCormick Square" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority CEO Lori Healey (shown, without a hard hat) believes it will roll off the tongues of locals and tourists visiting McCormick Place once McPier's Marriott Marquis hotel and arena are complete.

Healey hopes those aspects of McPier's $390M expansion project will serve as linchpins bringing the new development and surrounding neighborhoods such as the Prairie District, Motor Row, and parts of Bronzeville and the South Loop into one new entertainment and lifestyle district, according to Crain's.

The nightlife plan has been in the works for years. CTA's McCormick Place Green Line station provides easy access to the area, and developers like Windy City RE have been buying vacant properties in anticipation the area will explode once the hotel and arena are open for business. As part of the plan, Healey hopes to bring some pizzazz to the area with new banners and signage, similar to how Fulton Market now looks. [Crain's]