By MICHAEL NUNES
Staff Writer
RED BANK — Red Bank residents could soon have the opportunity to cruise down the Navesink River in style without having to leave town to do so.
“It used to be, around 15 years ago, [a river cruise boat] was parked right outside Marine Park, and it was a wonderful draw to Red Bank,” said Borough Council President Cindy Burnham in regards to the possibility of the borough bringing back riverboat cruises at Marine Park. She was unsure exactly why the cruises stopped.
The borough is working on criteria before sending out a Request for Proposals (RFP), according to Mayor Pasquale Menna, who mentioned the possibly of bringing riverboat cruises to Red Bank during the January council reorganization meeting.
For Burnham, the return of riverboat cruises to the borough could bring in more business.
“It’s a draw. People will come here, they’ll go on the river cruise, they’ll have dinner, and then when they get off, they might go to a movie or they might go have dessert or they might go to a club,” she continued.
“I like the prospect of using the riverboat, it’s just a matter of whether that’s the right way to utilize the river. We have to look at it from the [perspective] of does it benefit the town?” said Councilman Mark Taylor.
The addition of riverboat cruises during the summer months could help bring people to the borough who would otherwise head down to the shore.
“I think Red Bank is amazing from September to May, but in the summer months we lack. To bring a water attraction to the summer when Red Bank gets killed by [towns like] Long Branch, Belmar and Asbury … if we could bring some of those people here, I think it’s a great idea,” said Councilman Michael Whelan.
Bringing back river cruises to the borough, as some see it, would be the borough cashing in on one of its most recognizable features.
“It’s a positive for Red Bank. Our water is our biggest asset — we don’t use it.”