Park board chooses company to build marina, restaurant at the Public Landing, Cincinnati's 'foyer'

 Cincinnati will soon get a marina and restaurant at the Public Landing, based on a proposal accepted by the Cincinnati Park Board on Thursday. 

The Cincinnati Park Board voted 4-0 to approve a bid from landscape materials supplier H. Hafner and Sons to build the marina and full-service floating restaurant at a cost of $1.7 million to $2.2 million.  It could be open by next summer. 

Next: The park board will negotiate a contract that will require approval by Cincinnati City Council

Park board members expressed hope the marina will draw people to the riverfront and city.

"We talk about the riverfront being the living room to our city," said Board Member Linda Lee Thomas. "I've thought about this as being the foyer. It's got to be right. It's got to be inviting."

Two companies submitted proposals to build a marina along the riverfront, Hafner and Queen City Riverboats.

A committee of park and city staff recommended Hafner for a variety of reasons, including the location of the marina, revenue sharing, workforce diversity and guest experience, said Cincinnati Parks Deputy Director Jenny Mobley, a member of the committee that made the recommendation. 

The park board agreed. 

Hafner will build the boat dock along the public landing just east of the steamboat monument. They plan to call the restaurant and marina The Reef at Cincinnati's Landing. 

Queen City Riverboats proposed a location closer to the Roebling Suspension Bridge in front of Smale Park. That area floods easier and could make it harder to keep open as the river level rose above 31 feet, Mobley said. 

Boats typically run on the river until 40 feet, Mobley said. 

Also, Hafner proposed offering free one-day mooring so people could dock and enjoy the restaurants and city. 

"That specific item was a real positive to the Hafner proposal," said Park Board President James Goetz. "As a city park, it's an opportunity to draw people in. The fact that we could offer free moorage to enjoy the city, enjoy the park and entertainment district, to me that was, from a park standpoint, we're encouraging people to come and using it as a draw."

Staff at the meeting didn't say when the marina would get built. 

One park board member, Susan Castellini, recused herself. Castellini is the wife of Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini. The Reds were involved in the plans with Queen City Riverboats, according to a parks district spokesman.