Boat seeks spot in Morgan City

A second riverboat – sans the casino – could set sail by spring from Morgan City’s Lake End Parkway.

Two Terrebonne Parish investors are seeking the relocation of the Annabel Lee Riverboat from Ft. Myers, Fla., to Lake Palourde. Morgan City Councilman Louis Tamporello presented the request on behalf of the investors, whose identities have not been made public.

According to the councilman, the Annabel Lee would house a seafood restaurant, a banquet area and an arcade aimed at teens. Eventually, the riverboat would provide jet ski and, possibly, party barge rentals, he said.

The Annabel Lee is a 600-passenger, 108-foot steel dinner cruise boat. It has three passenger decks, and seats approximately 250 people.

At last week’s city council meeting, the council agreed to petition the state for the property.

Morgan City has been leasing Lake End Parkway from the state since 2007, after the Federal Emergency Management Agency relinquished its use as a hurricane evacuation site.

The 30-acre site served as a FEMA trailer park for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. According to Morgan City Mayor Tim Matte, FEMA spent roughly $8.7 million to run water, sewage and electricity to 198 trailers. The site ultimately housed only 50 people.

Today, the area is incorporated into the Lake End Park Campground, a city-owned, short-term trailer park and recreation area.

Matte said the state would have to approve use of a portion of the parkway for the Annabel Lee project.

Because the region is state-owned, the city would also be required to seek bids for similar proposed projects on that land and waterway, the mayor explained.

“Just about everybody has talked over the years about the area being a perfect site for a riverboat,” Tamporello said. “To think that this dream could become a reality is very exciting.”

Morgan City Director of Culture, Parks and Recreation Bart Mancuso said the idea is needed in the community.

“This is going to fit in perfectly with what we’ve been trying to do on Lake End Parkway,” he said.

Mancuso said the state will not allow a land-based restaurant near the lake, but would likely consider a different type of facility such as a barge.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, “the state is much stricter with its regulations,” he said.

Touting the boost the Annabel Lee poses for tourism dollars, Matte told the council he’s “100 percent behind the idea.”

“It’s going to be a huge asset to tourism and to the Lake End Park area,” he said. “(The area) is currently the hero of the city’s budget.”

The park netted $460,252 in September, exceeding the $322,875 park budget.

The city intends to add 12 Cajun-style cabins and fishing deck to the park. A price tag in excess of $4 million, however, has slowed progress on any park renovations.

“Like with everything else, money plays a huge factor,” Mancuso said. “But if we get the riverboat, perhaps the state will take a second look at us.”

The Annabel Lee Riverboat is seeking permission to relocate to Morgan City’s Lake End Parkway. Two Terrebonne Parish-based investors propose adding a seafood restaurant, banquet area and teen arcade aboard the 108-foot cruise boat. * Photo courtesy of ANNABEL LEE