Passenger Vessel Spirit Of Peoria Likely Moving To Florida

Following a spirited debate, the City Council of Peoria has voted to let the sale of the historic paddlewheel Spirit of Peoria proceed. The city had the right of first refusal on any sale of the attraction, and an 8-3 vote to let the sale go ahead prevailed. The vote clears the way for owner Alex Grieves to sell the boat to Yacht Starship Cruises of Tampa, Fla., according to the Peoria JournalStar, which reported a sale price of $1 million. 

One sticking point for the council members voting to let the sale proceed was Grieves’ refusal to allow an independent appraisal. Grieves reportedly claimed it would violate his sale agreement with Yacht Starship Cruises. 

The Spirit of Peoria website is still up, but no cruises are listed. A recorded phone message tells inquirers that the boat is under contract to be sold, and that all ticket holders have been refunded.