SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The final remnants of Sioux City’s floating casino have been towed away.
A tugboat on Thursday hauled off a barge containing offices, signage and other elements left behind by the Argosy Casino, the Sioux City Journal (http://bit.ly/1sn2ILE ) reported. It is headed to a large shipyard in Wood River, Illinois, operated by a marine business that bought the casino after it closed in July.
A former casino riverboat is docked at the same shipyard. The replica of a 1920s paddlewheel boat left Sioux City on Oct. 7 and arrived in Illinois on Oct. 20 after a journey hampered by temporary delays.
Owner Mike Marko said he will try to sell the boat and barge structures. If his efforts are unsuccessful, they’ll likely be scrapped for parts and materials.
The riverboat casino closed in July after the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission ordered it to cease operations because it wasn’t partnered with a state-licensed local nonprofit group as required by Iowa law. Its parent company fought the order, but the state’s supreme court ruled that it needed to close.
City leaders say they’ll seek public input on what to do in the former Argosy space in Chris Larsen Park. A final decision likely won’t come until the City Council compiles its annual budget early next year.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
