 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Gambling cruise boat not likely until June
By LEONORA LaPETER ST. PETERSBURG -- The 450-foot gambling cruise ship that was supposed to set sail twice a day from the city's port by March is unlikely to make an appearance until at least June, organizers say. The delay comes as Titan Cruise Lines, the company promising to operate the Spirit of St. Petersburg, has lost its chief financial officer to another job. Paul Barbour said he took the job with an investment firm because it was a good opportunity, not because of any problems with Titan. Michael Huegel, president of Titan Cruise Lines, acknowledged the company still does not have title to the ship, which would be outfitted for gambling cruises to the Gulf of Mexico. Still, he said he would make an announcement about the ship sometime next week, though he declined to say what the announcement would be. "In a project this size, every once in a while, there are a few glitches," Huegel said. "It's like a large construction job. We're eager to get things going. But there have been unforeseen delays with regard to the availability of some of the equipment and some operational things. Things are moving forward." Barbour, the former chief financial officer, had been the main contact with city officials because he lived locally. But officials said they also have been dealing with Huegel and Bradley Prader, Titan's chief executive officer, since the two men moved their families here late last year. Barbour declined to provide details of his new employment. The City Council approved the cruise ship operation in December. Titan, incorporated in the Cayman Islands, said it would hire 350 people locally and would provide the city with $800,000 a year in profits. Joe Zeoli, the city's waterfront enterprise director, said the city has been in continuous communication with Titan's management. He said the city was still waiting for proof the company has title to the cruise liner before signing an agreement for use of the port. City officials say St. Petersburg is protected because the agreement won't go into effect until Titan has title to the ship. Titan then must provide the city with a $54,000 deposit. If it does not commence operation within 90 days of the agreement, Titan must begin paying the city $9,000 a month in dockage fees. In addition, the city can rent out the space if the boat does not arrive. "We've had discussions with them on a regular basis, and there's no reason for concern," Zeoli said. "Some delay is acceptable, but the city does not want the delay to be extensive, either."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
|
