Showboat's restoration proposed

The Associated Press

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- St. Charles preservationists and investors say they want to repair and reopen the 93-year-old Goldenrod riverboat, left abandoned on the Missouri River.

The Coast Guard closed down the Goldenrod nearly a year ago after some floating debris cracked its hull. The showboat has been a National Historic Landmark since 1968, and its stage has played host to names like Bob Hope, Red Skelton and Pearl Bailey.

Preservationist Archie Scott wants to fix the boat and reopen it as an entertainment center. He and Kelly Ross Kerr, owner of an entertainment production firm gathering investors for the project, also want to take the boat out of the river and float it in an artificial basin. Local tourism officials say the repairs alone could cost $2 million.

Last of breed

Kerr and his investors have so far put up $250,000 for the repairs. Kerr also intends to provide separate facilities aboard and near the Goldenrod for civic events, to make the attraction more than just a showboat. "I really am in love with the Goldenrod," he said.

The showboat is one of the last of a breed that once crowded riverfronts in St. Louis and elsewhere. The Goldenrod spent 52 of its years on Laclede's Landing on the Mississippi River, below where the Gateway Arch stands. It was a fixture that few ever thought would leave that spot, until then-owner John Auble moved it to St. Charles in 1989.

St. Charles officials are considering Kerr's proposal to manage the boat. The deal could be completed this month.