Cleanup of barge not enough for Chattanooga tourism official

Workers collect scrap metal Tuesday as some cleanup is under way at the barge owned by Allen Casey on the north shore of the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga.

The cleanup of a run-down river barge across from Ross’s Landing should be finished by week’s end, but the city’s top tourism official called for the developer to move ahead with his plans for a restaurant.

“Anything less than a first-class restaurant is unacceptable,” said Bob Doak, the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau president.

Barge owner Allen Casey said Tuesday the barge, which holds a couple of structures, will be cleaned up and won’t be an embarrassment while he continues to put together financing for his project.

“It will have to do until we get our money,” he said.