Jeffrey Levin was surprised to learn that Marietta's City Council is planning to evict his Showboat Becky Thatcher from the stretch of riverbank where the vessel has been moored for most of its 34 years in the Pioneer City.
"It caught me by surprise. I thought there was going to be a bidding process (to lease the riverbank) - that was my understanding, and I could have bid on that lease," Levin, a resident of Delray, Fla., said on Wednesday.
He purchased the 200-foot, 1920s-era sternwheeler for $60,000 in 2004 from directors of Ohio Showboat Drama Inc. The boat was renovated and served as a restaurant for a year, but was vacated in 2006 and has remained empty since then.
That same year, Levin put the Becky Thatcher up for sale at a price of $550,000, but later dropped the price to less than $300,000.
"It's still for sale. We recently reduced the price to $239,000," Levin said. "And it just went back up on eBay. Ideally I would like to sell the boat, but I'm also willing to lease it out to someone who's interested."
He said a complete survey of the boat was conducted about a month ago, and divers found the hull and the epoxy hull coating to be in excellent shape. Levin said copies of the survey are available for anyone seriously interested in purchasing the vessel.
On Tuesday, members of City Council's lands, buildings and parks committee agreed to introduce legislation during the upcoming Thursday council meeting pursuing eviction or removal of the showboat from its current location on city property. The proposed resolution would also seek collection of any back rent on the property.
There has been no lease on the city-owned, half-acre section of Muskingum River bank for nearly five years, according to city law director Roland Riggs III, who said Levin has also not paid rent to keep the showboat anchored there.
"The previous lease expired on April 30, 2004," Riggs said. "But I think the city is entitled to recover something. The riverbank has value to the community, and the boat has been of no use in bringing business into the community in recent years."
He noted that an eviction would not be necessary if the showboat is removed.
"If (Levin) can sell the boat or if he can come up with a lease arrangement within this period of time, the legal action could be stopped," Riggs added.
Riggs said once the resolution is introduced during Thursday's council meeting, it would take more than a month for the measure to go through all three readings as requested by Councilman Jon Grimm, R-3rd Ward, chairman of council's lands, buildings and parks committee.
"I wanted to provide time for the public to comment on this issue," Grimm said. "We're not trying to be bad guys, but we just can't let the boat sit there with no indication that anything is going to be done. And it is blocking access to our riverbank."
Legislation authorizing advertisement for bids on a lease of the city's riverbank property was tabled indefinitely by council in December after a planned purchase of the Becky by local businessman Scott Elliott, owner of Marietta Industrial Enterprises, was stalled by the recent downturn in the economy.
In October, Elliott approached members of city council's lands, buildings and parks committee about leasing the property. He said he represented a group interested in purchasing the vessel and restoring it to a restaurant and showboat.
But by December, Elliott determined the current economy would make it difficult to obtain the loan necessary to purchase the boat, and the bid legislation was tabled.
In January, Elliott told the Times that the restaurant and showboat plan was "still a possibility," and Levin said he's continuing to talk with Elliott about the proposal.
Calls to Elliott at MIE were not returned this week.
Marietta Mayor Michael Mullen said the lease legislation could be brought off the table if there is local interest in renting the property.
"The measure was tabled because we got word that (Elliott) would not be able to purchase the boat," he said. "It costs several hundred dollars to advertise for bids on a lease, and we had no one else interested in the property, so it was tabled."
Mullen said he had contacted Levin Wednesday to apprise him of the eviction proposal and to see if there had been any movement on a sale of the boat.
"Our objective has always been to try and facilitate a viable business there," Mullen said. "And the ultimate win - the most desirable outcome - would be for some entity to restore the Becky to her former glory."
The mayor said restoration of the vessel to a showboat/restaurant venue would also be an enhancement to the ongoing Armory Square effort.
