 n Tuesday, October 1st, the Omaha City Council approved on a 5-1 vote to permit the River City Star river excursion boat to operate from the "Miller's Landing Park" riverfront location through 2013. The permit to operate includes an
agreement to relocate the riverboat's mooring dock, buildings and parking lot a short distance south to a new location.
The scheduled construction period will begin in December with a completion target of March 2004. The River City Star will be in operation at the commencement of the annual lower Missouri River navigation season.
The city of Omaha agreed to front the boat's owners, Rolling River LLC, a $350,000 loan to be used for incurred relocation costs.
The loan will be repaid over a period of 11 years, the same term as the lease agreement.
Omaha taxpayers will provide funding for any necessary river channel and boat mooring embankment work done by the Corps of Engineers, access roads, restrooms and support
facilities. The city will also split the estimated $200,000 cost of a paved parking lot for River City Star patrons. The agreement penned with Rolling River LLC reserves the right for the city to utilize the Miller's Landing Park improvements for use by potential casino and city water taxi
subcontractor services on the park's waterfront.
All of these changes and improvements are necessary to comply with current Omaha riverfront development plans going forward. Miller's Landing Park will border the Gallup Organization's riverfront campus and will become an extension of the riverfront hiking and biking access trail, therefore it will be aesthetically conducive to Omaha's new riverfront landscape theme.
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River City Star must relocate dock for riverfront development
 he River City Star
river excursion boat has become, over the course of many years, an important Omaha riverfront complimenting attraction.
The city of Omaha has been negotiating with the riverboat's owner, the Keystone Group, for an exclusive lease extension and funds
to relocate dockage and improve facilities so that it will become an integral part of the new Omaha riverfront
currently being constructed. There will be a public hearing by the Omaha City Council next week to discuss granting a
further extension of Keystone Group's boat's lease agreement.
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The River City Star moored at home port. The location
conflicts with development plans. |
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The current city proposal fronts up to $350,000 of the relocation and parking lot costs, the balance will be the
responsibility of the boat's present owner, the Keystone Group. The up front funds would be remitted back to the city,
with interest, over an extended term of 11 years. Outside of this proposed advance funding to the Keystone Group, the city
of Omaha would be obligated to pay an undetermined fee to the Corps of Engineers for river channel work which must be
done at the new boat mooring riverbank location. Keystone's balance owed is estimated to be about $200,000 which is to
be applied toward cost of a new parking lot, restrooms, roads and related facilities.
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The River City Star is in an enviable position declaring
that it has no competition on the river. |
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A Keystone subsidiary, DBA Rolling River LLC, has been responsible since year 2000 for operating the riverboat's excursions from
their original mooring dock at Miller's Landing location.
According to the existing lease agreement on record with Douglas County, in the year 2001, the city assumed the
property lease when the
county donated the land located at the Miller's Landing riverfront location for use as a city park which will be
integrated with bordering riverfront development plans already underway.
The new agreement will require the relocation of the riverboat's mooring dock and
facilities an unspecified distance southward downstream from the present location at Miller's Landing. The mooring
exists on the riverbank of the downriver boundary of the Lower Narrows Bend.
| "The moving mass of river channel water at this point on the right bank, close to mile marker 617.5, scours along a lengthy two mile channel shifting reach. This particular section of river channel crosses over
to the opposite bank, from upriver under the old Illinois Central rail road swing bridge, past the Anchor Inn, Bud Harbor and Sandpiper Cove Marina waypoints. Just a quarter mile upriver from the shores of Miller's Landing, opposite the narrow Sandpiper Cove Marina right-riverbank access channel, the mighty force of this channelized water mass exits the lengthy Lower Narrows Bend. The diverted river channel forcefully "hugs" the reinforced southbound low angled embankment of the grand old Upper Council Bend. Here the channel is forcefully routed along this wide bend, scraping the old riverbank where the ghosts of Omaha's historic river commerce establishments existed for almost 100 years. The Aaron Ferer metal scrap yards, the Port of Omaha terminal's old battered barge mooring pilings, and the heavily contaminated yet historic Asarco lead smelting and refining
properties were witness to the glory years. Past downtown riverbank stabilizing reinforcement of thick limestone rip-rap and old cable-bound dolphin-pilings, pounded into place during the 30's to reinforce old shifting river embankments. The river channel is finally diverted into a slow, long southbound reach, flowing under the southbound preferred right navigation channel of the the I480 bridge with the burned-out green right-channel marker navigation light."
- from:
Too many years on the river. |
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Riverfront businesses establishing early, will be poised
to exploit markets that need their services.
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The tract of land at Miller's Landing to be used for the new moorage will be closer to the Gallup organization's new campus,
currently under construction. An expanded parking area, modern dockside passenger facilities, improved restrooms conveniences and
convenient concession areas for serving passengers will be constructed.
Larry Foster, Omaha's acting city parks and recreation director stated, "We want to provide something that's attractive and
in keeping with the character of the other developments along the riverfront."
This "upgrade" will integrate the new River City Star excursion boat landing and structures into the 112 acre revitalized
Omaha riverfront that this fall will be joined by Rick's Cafe Boatyard restaurant and lounge. Sometime next year, with
approved funding, an adjoining marina will be accessible from the river. These grounds will extend a planned riverfront
trail to the new Lewis and Clark Landing riverfront park.
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Capt. James Smith at the helm of the River City Star. His
family owned the Belle of Brownville and ran the river excursion business on the river for decades. |
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The planned construction of the National Park Service Building and grounds will be in close proximity to the planned "Bridge
Plaza" location.
This will be designated as the junction point where the riverfront walkways and pavement routes will provide
connected physical access to the Omaha Convention Center and Arena (to the west) and the Gallup University site (to the north).
The Bridge Plaza area location will anchor the colossal support base anchoring the Omaha side of the river-spanning pedestrian bridge which will stand to
be the visual focal point of downtown Omaha.
The Gallup campus is expected to be completed in October 2003. Also
including in the current development plans are undesignated land parcels zoned for future residential and retail development.
Rolling River LLC will retain exclusive rights to operate the River City Star excursion boat from the park which will be at
Miller's Landing. The Keystone subsidiary would retain lease priveledges through 2003 for the 400 foot harbor and docking
area southwest of the current mooring dock location.
The Keystone Group purchased the Belle of Brownville river excursion boat and business in 2000. The boat was extensively
refurbished, outfitted and the interior reappointed at considerable investment cost. After new paint and decor, she was
re-christened the "River City Star". The existing Belle of Brownville Miller's Landing wharf facility that was
used by
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The original Belle of Brownville in 1998 (now the River City
Star) seen making way north of Omaha.
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the previous owner was rebuilt and new passenger boat accesses were built together with some structures and a parking
lot.
Tension adjustable securing cables extend from solid riverbank anchorages are designed to compensate for
unpredictable river level variances which are experienced throughout the length of the typical annual river navigation
season. The barge-dock remains safely secured to the riverbank location while simultaneously
rising or falling with the river's stage.
The barge-dock is moored by steel cables to the riverbank and functions as the dedicated mooring dock location for the excursion
boat when not making way on the river. When docked, the boat's port side is parallel and abreast of the barge-dock,
with the bow end pointing towards the upstream direction. This practice results in reduced stress to the main mooring
cables. The barge-dock has several above deck compartments which are used for office space as well as supply and
maintenance equipment storage. When securely moored, necessary water, fuel and electrical resources are provided to
the boat between cruises.
Winterization and storage of the riverboat is expected again this fall to be done at the original Brownville, Neb. mooring and dry dock
ways. About one-quarter mile upriver, several years ago, the Sandpiper Marina location was used for winter storage because at the
time the river level was high enough to allow the riverboat draft to successfully pass through the Sandpiper Cove Marina
inlet channel. The excursion boat was then dry-docked on bunks at the south end of the marina adjacent to pier 11. After
winterizing engines and piping the boat remained in storage until the commencement of the following year's river navigation
and commerce season, which traditionally begins about mid-March along the lower Missouri River between Sioux City and St
Louis, Mo.
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