LOWELL, Mich– Four months after city leaders announced the iconic showboat in Lowell was getting a new name, they’re releasing new information on the boat’s future.
Officials tell FOX 17 the boat will simply be known as The Lowell Showboat, something they say it’s already been called in the community for years. The move comes after leaders announced they were removing the name Robert E. Lee from the back of the boat, following racially-motivated rallies in Virginia over the summer.
Lowell’s City Manager says the boat will also be getting a makeover which includes enclosing the boat on its first two floors.
“It’s going to be a floating structure in the river, and we can move it if needed. But it’s not going to technically be a boat, like a ‘boat, boat,’ because it can’t go down the river and all that,” said City Manager Michael Burns. “It’s just going to be basically on a barge system where if we needed to move it to a different location, we could do that.”
Money for the project is coming from both the state and fundraising efforts. The city hopes to have the job done by the end of next summer.
As for the old Robert E. Lee sign from the boat, it will be donated to the local museum.
