Delta Queen: Somewhat Good News!

[herrmill]

Unless a letter writing campaign can prevent this, it looks as though Delta Queen may become another hotel like her sister in Sacramento:

The Save the Delta Queen Campaign
335 W. Fifth Street #401 • Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 • Tel: (513) 381-3571 • Email: vjw@olypen.com
www.save-the-delta-queen.org (http://www.save-the-delta-queen.org)

NEWS

For immediate release
Date: January 6, 2009

Contact: Vicki Webster (513) 381-3571
Donald E. Clare, Jr. (859) 586-6431
Allen Casey, President, River City Resort (423) 266-0804
Joseph McCarthy, Ambassadors International, Inc. (949) 300-1785; (949) 759-5951

Chattanooga Resort Owner on the Brink of Destroying the Delta Queen

CINCINNATI – The Save the Delta Queen Campaign has just learned from a reliable source that Allen Casey, President of the River City Resort in Chattanooga, is attempting to lease the Delta Queen from Ambassadors International, tie her up, and turn her into a hotel.

Of necessity, the process would entail gutting the interior of the National Historic Landmark to enlarge the staterooms, as well as kitchen and sanitation facilities and install elevators and other amenities.

Vicki Webster, leader of the grassroots Save the Delta Queen Campaign, said, “Mr. Casey must be stopped. If he is allowed to go through with his plan it will be an act of pure evil. And Chattanooga will be forever known as the city that killed the Queen. I urge everyone who cares about this riverboat and about our country’s heritage to contact Mr. Casey, the city of Chattanooga, and Ambassadors International and implore them to halt their negotiations immediately.”

The Delta Queen is the last traditional steamboat carrying overnight passengers on America’s inland waterways. For that reason, she has been designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1966, she was inadvertently caught in the technical provisions of the Safety of Life at Sea Act—a law that was intended to cover ocean-going ships, not riverboats. Recognizing the difference between boats that operate on rivers, within yards of the shore, and ships that sail the high seas, Congress established an exemption for the Delta Queen in 1968. Since then, the exemption has been renewed nine times, in virtually every case by near-unanimous votes in both the House and the Senate. The current exemption expired in November.

Just last Monday, Kentucky preservationist Donald E. Clare, Jr. nominated the Delta Queen for inclusion on the National Trust for Preservation’s 2009 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The nomination is being enthusiastically seconded by preservationists throughout the country, and the Trust has responded favorably. In 1970, when the Queen was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Trust issued this statement:

The Delta Queen is the last survivor of a once thriving fleet of steam paddleboats plying the inland waters of the United States, and deserves to, indeed, must survive as a living reminder of an important era of American history. . . . The loss of the Delta Queen as an operating vessel carrying overnight passengers on the Mississippi and its tributaries would be an irreplaceable one and would remove the last remaining link with the steam-boating tradition of nineteenth and early twentieth century America.

[herrmill]

Here's an update I received on MAL's Queens. As the thread title clearly states, none of this is good news. :(

Delta Queen is leaving NOLA around Jan 29 for Chattanooga where she is being leased to a yet unnamed party.

American Queen has been at the Todd Shipyard dock on the west bank. They've removed some of the lower bucket boards to reduce drag as she crosses the Gulf headed to Beaumont, Texas to the MARAD storage fleet there. As I understood it last year, once MARAD takes ownership, they have to wait 6 months before they can accept any bids. If that is true, it makes sense to store her somewhere where docking fees aren't involved. Her move is imminent.

Mississippi Queen reported going to Madison. Many river people doubt that this will happen. MQ has been stripped down more than reported. Permits required to place at Madison would be a nightmare & would cost millions to maintain.


Rumors are flying in every direction regarding the DQ, but if the recent article in the Cincinnati Enquirer has any truth to it the lease requires the boat be kept intact until a permanent buyer can found:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090111/NEWS01/901110321

Does anyone have $10 million in spare change to buy a national landmark?

Chuck

[herrmill]

Paddlewheeler to be permanent attraction on Madison riverfront
Roundabout Entertainment Guide
By Don Ward, Editor

Madison, Ind.'s riverfront is about to become the site of a major
attraction if Bob Przewlocki's pending purchase of the Mississippi
Queen is completed in the coming days. The owner and developer of
River Mill Resort on the riverfront is close to negotiating the
purchase of the paddlewheeler for an undisclosed amount from Los
Angeles-based Ambassadors International.

The company owns the entire six-vessel fleet of riverboats,
including the Delta and American Queens. The Mississippi, Delta and
American Queens plied the Ohio River and are docked in " New
Orleans. "The company's West Coast vessels - the Empress of the
North, Queen of the West and Columbia - Queen - previously plied the
Columbia River and are docked in Seattle.

Przewlocki wants to permanently dock the Mississippi Queen in front
of his River Mill Resort and operate it as a floating hotel, complete
with two restaurants and five bars. The vessel also features a disco,
movie theater, swimming pool, spa and banquet facility .. - It has
208 state rooms to house 458 passengers plus additional cabins used
to house 156 crew members.

"Our offer has been accepted, and now there are just some
engineering and logistical issues that must be resolved during this
time of due diligence," said David Landau, who works for Przewlocki
as the on-site River Mill Resort property manager.

"Once the deal is complete, our plan is to bring the boat to
Madison as soon as possible so we can build the floating dock system
and marina, where it will be permanently moored" in front of River
Mill Resort, formerly the Meese building. "There will be a boardwalk
type platform alongside of It."

Landau said he does not anticipate having any trouble obtaining the
required permits from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to built the
marina and dock on the river.

He added that having the Queen in Madison will be great for tourists who want to spend time down on the river or ride the trolley or horse drawn carriages to and from Main Street. The vessel also is expected to employ 50 to 75 fulltime people and another 25 part-time.

Majestic America Line operated the fleet of steamboats for
Ambassadors International, which put the fleet up for sale last year.
The company ceased operations at the end of. the 2008 season and is
not booking cruises for 2009 for any of its vessels. The Delta Queen
made its last stop in Madison in late October as part of its farewell
cruise to Cincinnati and back to New Orleans, where it has been ever
since.

The Mississippi Queen was built in -1976 to mark the American
Bicentennial, and Przewlocki is hoping to have the vessel operating
in Madison in time for the city's June 2009 Bicentennial Celebration.
The vessel did not cruise the past two years.

"It was built as a replica of the great steamboat era," Landau
said. 'There is very little for us to do to get it operational; just
cleanup and some mechanical rehab."

The Mississippi Queen is the second-largest river boat in existence,
after the American Queen. It is an authentic steamboat with a 70-ton
paddlewheel. The glassed-in engine room and Paddle Wheel Bar with
floor-to-ceiling windows give passengers the unique opportunity of
watching the River.

[AndyKunz]

Does anyone have $10 million in spare change to buy a national landmark?

Captain Bailout takes the helm today...

Andy

[herrmill]

Based on past news, this is probably the best thing that could have happen for Delta Queen at this point. Should anyone live in or be traveling to the Chattanooga area, here's your chance to stay aboard the DQ, albeit at dockside.

I wonder if they'll be firing her boilers just to play the calliope? :D


Delta Queen Moves to Chattanooga

Historic Steamboat will Operate as a Historic Hotel for Now

Newport Beach, Calif., January 27, 2009 – Ambassadors International, Inc., owners of the historic Delta Queen, have chartered the vessel to Harry Phillips, owner of Chattanooga Water Taxi and Fat Cat Ferry in Chattanooga, Tenn., to act as caretaker for its 174-guest Delta Queen while Ambassadors continues searching for a buyer to operate it as an overnight cruise vessel.

The company will also continue pursuing a congressional exemption for the 82-year old vessel since federal law prohibits it from operating overnight cruise voyages without an exemption due to its wooden superstructure. A beloved fixture of America’s rivers, the 176-guest Delta Queen is the last traditional steamboat carrying overnight guests on inland waterways. Delta Queen is a registered historic treasure of the Department of the Interior and the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is also a National Historic Landmark and a member of the National Maritime Hall of Fame. The Delta Queen was recently nominated for inclusion on the National Trust for Preservation’s 2009 list of America’s Most Endangered Historic Places.

Delta Queen will depart New Orleans, La., and cruise to Chattanooga in February and moor at Coolidge Park Landing. Once there, Delta Queen will operate as a historic, boutique hotel, preserved in her current state and managed by Sydney Slome, owner of Chattanooga’s StoneFort Inn. Slome purchased Chattanooga’s historic StoneFort Inn from Phillips two years ago.

“The company is committed to preserving this national landmark. In order to maintain the steamboat’s historical significance, provisions of the charter agreement prevent the Delta Queen from being altered,” said Diane Moore, president, Ambassadors Cruise Group. “We selected Phillips due to his knowledge of restoring and maintaining historical properties and his maritime experience. Chattanooga’s renewed waterfront is an ideal location for people to celebrate the Delta Queen and enjoy her great historical and cultural value.”

Phillips, a licensed boat captain, has acquired and restored several historically significant homes in East Hartford, Conn., and in Chattanooga. He has also served on the board of directors of Cornerstones, Inc., a prominent Chattanooga non-profit organization committed to historic preservation of downtown Chattanooga properties. Phillips is a former banker, current business owner and real estate investor who has successfully listed two of his Chattanooga downtown buildings on the National Historic Register including the StoneFort Inn, which he restored in 2003.

“The Delta Queen is a national treasure and she will be cared for accordingly until her return to overnight cruise service,” said Phillips. “She truly compliments Chattanooga’s vibrant waterfront. Her mooring at the North Shore’s charming Coolidge Park will provide the first opportunity for all ages to experience and appreciate the last operable, and most cherished overnight passenger steamboat in the country.”

Chattanooga’s Mayor, Ron Littlefield, is proud to have the Delta Queen as part of the city’s waterfront. “The Delta Queen is a magnificent vessel and a welcome addition to Chattanooga,” said Littlefield. “Having such a beloved and unique attraction in Chattanooga adds to the continued revitalization of our city.”

Although the majestic steamboat will not be able to leave the dock, Slome said he is committed to recreating the spirit of the Delta Queen for visitors and overnight guests during his service to her. “The Delta Queen is a glorious tribute to our river history, and it is my honor to serve her.” The boat has 87 cabins consisting of queens, doubles, bunk beds, and suites, and an abundance of properly appointed common areas. Slome plans to book Delta Queen’s entertainment venues and offer Dixieland jazz and shows ranging from cabarets to musical revues. Group tours will be available, allowing visitors to learn first-hand about steam technology—a mode of transportation that helped revolutionize the world.

The Chattanooga Water Taxi service connects both shores, and will expand its schedule as necessary to accommodate the demand from residents, tourists, and guests who would like to visit the Delta Queen.


About Ambassadors International, Inc.

Ambassadors International, Inc., is a cruise, marine, and travel and event company. The company operates Windstar Cruises, an international, luxury cruise line. The company is also a global provider of construction and consulting services to marina owners. In addition, the company provides travel and event services. The company is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif.



Media Contact:

Vanessa Bloy
Ambassadors Cruise Group
206.733.2970
vanessa.bloy@windstarcruises.com


Media Contact:

Maura Phillips
Delta Queen Hotel
423.779.2688
maura@chattanoogawatertaxi.com