Omaha Forums

DTO Luv wrote:A floating restaurant! Think about how unique that would be.

Christine Laue, OWH wrote:The River City Star will make its final voyage Thursday to a new home in Plattsmouth, where it will become a floating restaurant. Two new riverboats will replace it along Omaha’s riverfront.

The Star, previously called the Belle of Brownville, operated as an excursion boat for public and private cruises for more than 40 years .

Larry Richling, the boat’s most recent owner, said he decided to sell the boat because federal regulations for boats capable of carrying more than 300 passengers became too costly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The two smaller boats, each with a capacity of 149 passengers, fall in a different category with fewer regulations, he said. They will be more cost-effective to operate as an excursion business, Richling said.

TitosBuritoBarn wrote:

DTO Luv wrote:A floating restaurant! Think about how unique that would be.  :)

St. Louis has that too. There's a riverboat that is permanenty achored in front of the arch that houses a McDonalds. There use to be a Burger King one too right next to it, but a big flood about 10 years ago pulled it out of its anchor and it floated away

TitosBuritoBarn wrote:River boats are susceptible to terrorism?

TitosBuritoBarn wrote:River boats are susceptible to terrorism?

Blow up a boat underneath an interstate bridge, bring the bridge down....yes, there are concerns there.

Brad wrote:River City Star making final voyage

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10504482

Christine Laue, OWH wrote:The River City Star will make its final voyage Thursday to a new home in Plattsmouth, where it will become a floating restaurant. Two new riverboats will replace it along Omaha’s riverfront.

The Star, previously called the Belle of Brownville, operated as an excursion boat for public and private cruises for more than 40 years .

Larry Richling, the boat’s most recent owner, said he decided to sell the boat because federal regulations for boats capable of carrying more than 300 passengers became too costly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The two smaller boats, each with a capacity of 149 passengers, fall in a different category with fewer regulations, he said. They will be more cost-effective to operate as an excursion business, Richling said.

KETV wrote:Once it arrives at 151 Freedom Park Road, it will be permanently docked on the riverside and will be a “floating party and boarding barge,” said officials with the River City Star. Public and private cruises on the current River City Star Riverboat will continue.

Passengers aboard the River City Star riverboat were evacuated Friday night in Council Bluffs after the boat struck a bank, lost power and drifted across the Missouri River, police said.

Greg S wrote:Hopefully this is not the end of them. I think they've been on shaky ground in the past. The owner also owned the now closed Hollywood Diners, (and the still open candy store in the old market).

Greg

The more unique the business he’s selling, the more auctioneer Tom Millie enjoys it.

His company, the Auction Mill, found an owner for a local water park, which was moved to Florida. He’s also done convention centers, grocery stores, hotels and movie theaters.

The River City Star riverboat, which is docked on the Missouri River between downtown and Eppley Airfield, is a first for the Auction Mill. It’s a 145-passenger, 1986 Skipperliner (1940s replica) paddlewheel riverboat.

“It’s in the top five of the most unusual and coolest things we’ve ever sold,” Millie said.
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Matt Kalcevich, director for parks, recreation and public property for the City of Omaha, said the lease wasn’t extended because the bar wasn’t in compliance with regulations governing a city property and the business also didn’t meet the intended use of the land, which was donated to the city by the Miller family.

“We just couldn’t let it be out of compliance,” Kalcevich said. “We were at a point of separation with the end of the lease.”

The city tried to help Cutchall find another site for its business, but the timeline to open would have been at least two years, Kavan said.

Kalcevich said the city has some ideas for how the property might be used by the city.

It could be rented out like one of the 10 pavilions across Omaha’s park system, it could be used for staff or it could replace the welcome center at Freedom Park that was flooded in 2011.