Posted on 02/23/2011 10:04:47 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Marquette, a luxury 'river city' worth 109 million dollars, would reportedly cruise on America's waterways all year round, bringing back memories of the Mark Twain era.
This kind of floating communities were a common sight on the Mississippi in the 19th century, which used to ply up and down the mighty river and develop trade in the process. But now such a view can also be witnessed in the 21st century.
The five-deck Marquette will be a floating village with swimming pools, restaurants and its own 18-hole golf course. It also includes 180 apartments, each with a private balcony, the Daily Mail reports.
The floating boat is a brainchild of David Nelson, a marine developer who has lived on board his own houseboat in Minnesota for 19 years.
The 600 feet long development, which has been described as a floating 'condo community', would reportedly cruise along 6,600 miles of America's coastal waterways and rivers.
Considering a route that experiences the best weather conditions throughout the year, Nelson has planned that his masterpiece would cruise along the Gulf of Mexico in the winter and up through 18 states, reaching St Paul in Minnesota in the summer, the paper said.
Interested people have been given the option of buying a condo permanently, or for just half the year, spending either the summer or winter on board. The floating community would have television for recreation, and telephone signal and high-speed Internet connection for emergency purposes, it added.
Two buses would reportedly follow the Marquette's journey, allowing passengers to visit the 155 cities on the route, including Memphis, Nashville and Chicago.
Nelson and his fellow developer David Tout are planning to fund the development themselves because the banks have refused to venture on a risky project as such.
"Unfortunately bankers only do what has been done before, so we are unable to get banks to participate in financing our vessel." Nelson said.
/johnny
Knowing today’s businesses, it’ll be powered by solar energy, wind turbines and unicorn flatulence.
I would back the banks on this one. It ain’t going to happen.
At that size, make it a nuke.
It must be a putt putt 18 hole course.
Would that be the pre-war era or post-war?
That is exactly what we need clogging up our rivers. I would rather see the river where the river is and house on land where there is extensive (mega understatement) room for houses to be built.
But the water hazard is a real bitch...
Did the Wisconsin and Indiana democratic parties buy their spaces yet?
That thing will be a gigantic target for stray barges and other perils offered up by Ol’ Man River.
Not exactly a challenge to find, though.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.