The Cincinnati Park Board is close to choosing the company that will build a public marina on the Ohio River. On Wednesday, it decided against considering a last-minute proposal from one of the two companies that submitted plans.
The rejected proposal, which involved a floating hotel co-branded with the Cincinnati Reds, would likely have cost millions more than anticipated and didn't come with a plan where the money would come from, park officials said.
The board wants to move forward with the long-delayed marina and says the project has already taken too long to get underway.
Two local companies bid on the project, H. Hafner and Sons and Queen City Riverboats. Both said they could build a marina for the $1.7 million the park board has set aside. But H. Hafner and Sons offered the city more revenue sharing and offered more diversity in its workforce.
H. Hafner and Sons had never built or operated a marina, while Queen City Riverboats – whcih submitted the plan with the hotel – has.
A city panel that reviewed the proposals recommended H. Hafner and Sons, but the decision is ultimately up to the park board.
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