In this file photo, owners of the Riverboat Majestic, Joe and Cortnee Brumley, are shown with the boat at their home near Manchester, Ohio.
The Showboat Majestic could be dropping anchor at Limestone Landing in Maysville, officials learned Thursday.
The ship was purchased by Joe and Cortnee Brumley of Winchester, Ohio, in early 2019 and plans were to dock the boat on the Ohio River next to Moyer Winery on U.S. 52, west of Manchester, Ohio. But after Moyer’s was destroyed in a fire, those plans changed.
Now, the boat’s owner think Maysville may be the ideal location for the attraction and city officials think they may be right.
“It would benefit them and benefit the city,” Maysville City Manager Matt Wallingford said.
The city was approached by the Brumleys with a proposal to dock the boat at Limestone Landing. He said the owners discussed the proposal with Tourism Director Lacey Holleran, Main Street Director Caroline Reece, along with Wallingford and Mayor Charles Cotterill.
Holleran spoke to city commissioners in favor the proposal, pointing out that the riverfront is not reaching its tourism potential and that the boat could attract visitors for shows, concerts and even just to tour the vessel. She also said it could lead to a river festival of some sort.
Commissioners agreed to have City Attorney Kelly Caudill draw up a lease agreement to the owners. The lease would not require payment from the boat, since it operates as a non profit entity, but would require the owners to pay utilities for the boat. Other requirements the city will include in any lease is $1 million in liability insurance and that the city be named on the boat’s insurance policy; that it would operate at designated times; be open to inspections by the city; and maintain a relationship with the city tourism agencies.
The 85-foot-long floating theater was an attraction on Cincinnati’s riverfront landscape beginning in the 1960s.
The boat’s owners also approached Augusta with a proposal to dock there but the two not able to reach an agreement.
Also on Thursday, city commissioners approved the first reading of an abandoned urban property ordinance that would place a $5 per $100 of accessed value tax on abandoned property, The ordinance also defines what an aabandoned property is and allows for an appeals process.
A second reading will be held during a special meeting set for Dec. 15 at noon.
