In an 8-3 vote Tuesday night, the Peoria City Council waived its right of first refusal on the Spirit of Peoria, likely ensuring the boat’s departure from the River City.
City Manager Patrick Urich said owner and captain of the Spirit, Alex Grieves, will not share documentation on the boat’s condition, citing a March 9 text exchange.
“The offer to the city was condition free. (The) buyer has accepted the vessel in its ‘as is where is condition,’ allowing the city to perform any survey or appraisal would violate my agreement with Yacht Starship,” Urich said as he read Grieves’ text message to council.
Urich told council that with the lack of information regarding the Spirit itself, the cost of $1 million to purchase the boat is not in the city’s best interest.
“Staff is prepared to certainly work on a RFP (Request for Proposal) to get something ready to go to look at what might come after the Spirit, if it were to leave, and we have that space on the riverfront,” Urich said.
At-Large council member Zach Oyler said he’s disheartened with the Spirit discussion since day one and believes the city could do more to keep the boat.
“The numbers we (obtained) have not proven that this is an illegitimate deal or an illegitimate financial decision to us,” Oyler said to council members. Oyler stated the boat was appraised in the 1990’s at over $2 million and doesn’t believe the boat could depreciate more than 50% over the last 20-plus years.
“There has been no legitimate effort to deal with this, to solve this problem, to protect something that is critically important to our riverfront,” Oyler said. “It has been an effort from the beginning to let it set sail.”
Oyler gave time over to deckhand of the Spirit of Peoria, Capt. Alice Grady, who said she also was blindsided by the sale. Since 1997, Grady has been working on the boat, obtaining a captain’s license in 2007.
“Most of our passengers traveled over 45 minutes just to come to Peoria to ride the boat for an hour and a half cruise,” Grady told the council and city officials. “When they’re here for that hour and a half, they spend much more time in the area. Because you got to eat lunch and you might take in a show someplace else as well.” Grady also mentioned overnight and dinner cruises led to patrons staying in local hotels before or after the cruise.
Grady said she’s made many deckhand friends, officiated over a dozen marriages on the Spirit, and met her fiance through the work. “I thank you for deferring this for a few more weeks to give yourselves some time to think about the boat, and what it means to you and the citizens,” Grady concluded.
Council members Andre Allen (District 4), Sid Ruckriegel (at-large), and Timothy Riggenbach (District 3) shared their displeasure with the Spirit’s situation, but were against spending $1 million dollars on the boat without an appraisal.
“At this time, we've not been able to get any financial information. Which I think… I’m sorry but I can’t believe a single person around this horseshoe… that would spend an amount of $1 million in taxpayer money without doing any due diligence on that,” Ruckriegel said. “This is not an easy decision for any of us.”
Counci members Chuck Grayeb (District 2), Beth Jensen (at-large), and Oyler voted against the motion. Corporation Counsel Chrissie Kapustka, answering a question from Jensen, said the city’s lease with the Spirit expires and the end of the 90-day Right of First Refusal are both set for April 30.
Urich noted the Spirit of Peoria’s website is still up, but not accepting any reservations. The cruises are listed as either canceled or unavailable.
