‘Basically throwing $14.2M into the river.’ Commissioners still at odds on boat dock, but project going forward

December 6, 2022 | 12:09 am

Updated December 6, 2022 | 7:01 am

Mark Castlen is firmly against the multi-million-dollar transient boat dock that will be built near the Owensboro Convention Center. Larry Maglinger, Jeff Sanford, and Bob Glenn are steadfast in saying it’s needed. While the commission is at odds about many aspects of the project, it continues to move forward — and will likely be bonded later this month alongside the indoor sports complex and other city projects.

In August, the Owensboro City Commission voted 3-2 (with Mayor Tom Watson and Castlen dissenting) to move forward with constructing the dock. Tonight, the commission will hear the first reading of an ordinance to issue General Obligation Bonds in the approximate principal amount of $44,920,000 — which would, in part, fund the dock.

Castlen said last week the cost of the dock is expected to reach $14 million with interest. He and Watson both believe that is too high for the City to get a return on investment.

“I think it’s basically throwing $14.2 million into the river,” Castlen said. “Boat docks are kind of like city parks. They’re not there to make money typically, they are there as a service to the community — but $14 million would buy one heck of a nice park that everybody can use.” 

Funding for the dock — as well as for the indoor sports facility — will come from a mix of three pipelines: the Your Community Vision (YCV) fund, the General Fund, and the newly readjusted Transient Room Tax.

For the first few years, money for the dock will primarily come from the YCV and General funds; eventually the room tax funds will be able to be allocated.

“A big chunk of it is going to be coming out of the general fund, which could be used to go ahead and give our city employees a raise that they are years behind on, which will bring them up to scale to the private sector,” Castlen said.

The mayor and Castlen brainstormed the idea of potentially installing a less expensive or temporary boat dock. However, Sanford, Maglinger and Glenn all agreed that placing a temporary dock would be too much of a hassle.

“We never considered that. We can put a much cheaper one, I guess. That’s not built well, but you’re still spending millions of dollars on something that’s not going to last,” Sanford said. “…It’s kind of like when you buy a car, you get what you pay for.”

Castlen also equated the spending to buying a car.

“It’s kind of like going out and buying a Ferrari when what you really need is a minivan. It’s spending a lot more money on something that’s not practical,” Castlen said.

Sanford initially was against investing in a boat dock, saying the City was not in a position to take on more debt.

His position has changed, though, as he now thinks the City is financially ready to take on the bond — and because he thinks the price is likely to inflate if they were to hold off longer.

“The reason I’m considering it now, and I said I would support it, is because we do have the money. Number two, if we wait, it’s going to cost more. And number three, we did have a vibrant boating population,” he said.

Maglinger believes the unique amenities of the dock make it a practical and financially sound decision.

Preliminary designs call for the boat dock to include a fueling station and restrooms. It will also provide “access to downtown” from people traveling the river. Surrounding docks and marinas don’t have fueling stations, according to Maglinger, who said that will make Owensboro a destination spot for boaters.

Maglinger said that many boaters head to St. Louis on the Mississippi or Paducah on the Ohio River due to the lack of places to get fuel. Therefore, he said, placing a fueling station in Owensboro will benefit the City.

While Maglinger noted that Paducah is closer to the Mississippi River, he thinks Owensboro will still draw travelers from far away.

“[Paducah] would get what they call the loopers and those are people that come off the Mississippi. And because of that, we used to get a lot of traffic and I believe we still do,” he said.

Castlen however, believes the distance between Owensboro and the Mississippi will be the reason Owensboro’s dock won’t appeal as much as Paducah’s.

“Paducah is down by the lakes and it’s down by the Mississippi and if there’s ever a boating community, that is it. We’re in a dead zone,” he said. “Yeah we’ll have a few boats stop in, but it’s not worth the investment.”

Glenn and Maglinger both noted the success of the previous boat dock the former Executive Inn ran, saying it brought in people over the course of the year to enjoy the downtown area even before it was revitalized.

Glenn said the dock will lead to a “tremendous boom” for downtown and it would be financially beneficial for the City in the long run.

“Currently we have no gateway from the river to downtown that doesn’t involve having to have a car, whereas you would be able to walk right up the hill and there you already have access to hotels, you have access to restaurants, you have access to everything downtown offers.”

Commissioners will not vote on the bonds during tonight’s meeting, which is at 5 p.m. in the Commission Chambers located on the fourth floor at City Hall, 101 E. 4th Street. The meeting will also be streamed live on the City of Owensboro Facebook Page.

December 6, 2022 | 12:09 am

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