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A deal has fallen through to sell the dilapidated barge that sits across the Tennessee River from Ross' Landing. The barge could remain in place, where it can be seen from Chattanooga's 21st Century Waterfront, until it is sold.
A former restaurant barge owned by Alan Casey has been empty for years docked along the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga.A deal has collapsed to remove a failed restaurant barge from downtown Chattanooga’s riverfront, leading to potential further delays in ridding what city officials call a waterfront eyesore.
A possible buyer of the dilapidated barge, RCW Inc., has failed to move forward with a plan to dismantle and remove the vessel, and an attorney is seeking to withdraw the deal in U.S. Bankruptcy Court so another option can be pursued.
“He apparently doesn’t want to proceed with the salvage of it,” said Gary Patrick, a lawyer for a group of business people who have sued Chattanooga businessman Allen Casey. It was Casey who brought the barge to the city in 2009, but he failed to move ahead with his plan to build an eatery and bar and filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.
Patrick said Casey attorney David Fulton has identified another party who may be interested in shifting the barge from its location across the Tennessee River from Ross’s Landing.
“He’s pursuing that right now,” Patrick said. “Hopefully we’ll know something in a few days. Otherwise, we’ll see who else is out there to do this.”