Stillwater Offering Free Temporary Boat Slips To Lure Business
STILLWATER, Minn. (WCCO) -- It's lunchtime on a Friday afternoon and the deck at the Freight House Restaurant is filling up. But one look around and you can quickly see that most of the crowd came by cars. That, despite a magnificent view of the nearby St. Croix River.
"This is prime boating season," said the restaurant's general manager, Eric Cameron.
Cameron has good reason to feel the mix of boat traffic only gets better. That's because of a recently approved city agreement that is offering free boat docking just a block away.
The city is now leasing 16 slips from the St. Croix Boat and Packet company as a way to lure business from off of the river.
"People are out on the water and they want to come into town and spend money," Cameron said. "So anything we can do to help facilitate that is a positive."
Standing on his 27-foot sailboat, Patrick Keilen explains some of his sailing experience.
"I did most of my sailing on the west coast," he said.
Now the sailor from New Richmond, Wisconsin is applauding Stillwater city leaders for being more boat friendly. He says they realize that the money boaters spend on food, refreshments and shopping downtown, will more than make up for the $16,000 city investment.
"There always was guest dockage here for a fee and people would come in for an extended stay," Keilen said. "I think there is an upside to free, and people will use it for a couple days and kind of break up the clientele."
Before the city's action, boaters could rent temporary slips at private marinas along the St. Croix. But that can cost from $5 to as much as $50 on a busy weekend.
Now, boaters and business owners say that free slippage means more money to spend on food or fun.
"And it won't be the last time I do it either, I'll be up here pretty often this summer," Keilen said.
Other cities along the river operate municipal docks like Hudson, Hastings and Red Wing.
Stillwater is considering building permanent docking at the city's new Bridgeview park just south of downtown.