Quote:We don't need another stadium downtown. What we need is something that will draw people downtown every day, year round. A casino, a theme park, restaurants, museums, a waterfront park. etc. I'd hesitate to have a navy ship as a floating museum, because that would just block the view of the river.


But it can't be just one thing. If it's just one thing, it won't have broad enough appeal. It needs to be a combination of many different things.


Judging from the River Taxi fiasco, I would try to get the local government out of it as much as possible. I'd sell the whole shipyards property to Shad Khan for $1 and let him develop it. It would be an unusual thing to do, but with the way the government operates around here, I would take the risk and trust Khan to do the right thing.

The city would stand to benefit greatly by taking a vacant plot of land and get it back on the books generating tax revenue. Selling it to Khan for a reasonable price so he can spearhead development is a logical move, but reasonable, not darn near free.


Regarding the Navy vessel as a floating museum, they actually had a plan to display it vertical to she shoreline in one of the slips, so any view obstruction would be minimal. Even if it wasn't, the only view you'd have is the south bank near St. Nicholas. Not exactly a breathtaking view.


I don't think a casino would work here, but the other suggestions are worth consideration. As it stands, what Lamping presented in the state of the franchise address provides for a world class aquarium, high end retail, restaurant and hotel chains that would draw people to the area, and residential/office use. There's a lot of potential in their plan.

---