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City working to fill fundraising gap for Lowell Showboat

The city manager says the project is about $865,000 short of its goal.

LOWELL, Mich. — The new Lowell Showboat will cost more than expected, and city leaders are now determining how to cover it. 

City Manager Mike Burns said the city realized that it'd need more money after receiving bids for the boat's interior work back in June. There's been delays to the project due to COVID-19. 

Lowell has received a total of $2.3 million from the state over the past few years to help fund the project, but Burns said they are about $865,000 short. 

"We're talking to the council about at least using the city's lending capacity to finance the remainder of the project with the intent to be paid for by fundraising and revenue from the new facility," Burns said. "We have not used any city of Lowell tax dollars to this point and I don't believe that there is an intent to do that in the future."

Burns also said he expects about half of the financial gap to be filled by grant funding. 

A public meeting to discuss options is scheduled for August 11 at Creekside Park.

In the next few weeks, the city will be picking a general contractor for the interior. Currently, Moran Iron Works is welding the boat and it should be moved into the Flat River by September. 

The goal is still to have the boat open to the public by winter. 

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