'We had high hopes': Showboat Majestic given 90 days to leave New Richmond after council vote

Correction: An earlier version of this story said the Showboat Majestic was previously moored at Moyer Winery. The boat was moored 500 feet up the Ohio River from the winery, according to the winery owners. 

The Showboat Majestic, which settled into the Village of New Richmond's riverfront last year, now has 90 days to leave the area.

The New Richmond Village Council voted Tuesday night to give owner Joe Brumley 90 days to remove the historic vessel from the village's riverfront on the Ohio River. A formal letter issuing the demand will be sent out later this week, council member Dennis Dalton, who proposed the motion to remove the boat, told The Enquirer.

A lease for the Showboat Majestic to be moored along the riverbank in New Richmond for at least 10 years was approved by the village council last year. However, the village is within its rights to revoke the license, Dalton said.

"There's been a lot of high hopes for the Showboat Majestic and there's been a lot of attempts, including by Village officials, to try to gain some progress on accomplishing those hopes and they just haven't happened," Dalton said. "I felt it was time to make a move to get it removed so that we can find another way to make that area of our riverfront attractive."

Photos:Showboat Majestic through the years

Showboat Majestic:Historic riverboat to dock in New Richmond

Ideas for alternative attractions in the space, such as a public boat ramp, have been suggested, Dalton says, but as of now, the council does not have a plan on what to do with the riverfront space instead. 

Brumley and his ex-wife Cortnee purchased the Showboat Majestic, a fixture in Cincinnati for over 50 years, in 2019. The Brumleys first moored the boat around 500 feet up the Ohio River from the Moyer Winery and Restaurant, according to winery owner Ken Smith, which suffered a fire in June, 2019.

The Enquirer reached out to Brumley, who did not want to make a comment about the vote or his plans for the riverboat, so the Showboat Majestic's future is unclear.

Dalton, who was not on the village council when the Showboat Majestic was moored, said he feels "a little disappointed" with the end result, but that it's "hard not to be excited" about the future of the space. 

Earlier this month, New Richmond secured $300,000 from the Ohio State Capital Budget for its Liberty Landing Project.

"The entire revitalization project that is New Richmond as a whole, as a community, is in full force," he said.