The Rhythm City barge in Davenport, Iowa has been offered—at no charge—to the city of Clinton, said Rhythm City General Manager Mo Hyder. But Clinton City Administrator Matt Brooke said the deal would cost the city more than 0,000 after connecting it to sewer and water lines. “From tugging it up through the locks and getting here, is about 0,000 and then you have to have gas, electric, sewer water get that all hooked up and then we haven’t even talked about getting inside of it,” he said.
Brooke said the city will have to maintain the barge unless an investor takes over. “You can’t just have one or two conference center meetings a year. You won’t make any money back on it, then we’re paying anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000 a month to keep the heat on in the winter. Are we willing to give up other projects for this?” Brooke said.
The Rhythm City Barge has sat vacant on the Mississippi River since the land-based Rhythm City Casino and Resort opened in Davenport in June 2016.
If Clinton moves forward with the barge proposal, it would be located between the Showboat Theatre and Candlelight Inn on the riverfront.
Meanwhile, the Living Lands and Water organization said it will take the barge if Clinton rejects it.
