Yes, commuter boats really will soon be cruising the Oklahoma River. A delegation led by Devon Energy CEO Larry Nichols and former Mayor Ron Norick will be traveling Tuesday to Albany, New York as Scarano Boats begins trial runs of the 49-passenger Oklahoma River Cruiser dubbed the Devon Discovery. The boat is 65 feet long and will be among three to be delivered to Oklahoma City over the next 18 months. The Discovery will arrive later this month.
A decade ago, the Oklahoma River was hardly a river at all, and was widely derided as having to be mowed three times a year. That all changed with a $54 million waterway restoration funded through the city’s Metropolitan Area Projects program.
I’ll be accompanying the delegation to Albany, and will report back on the trial run, the boats’ construction, and how the boats are expected to promote development along the Oklahoma River.
- Steve Lackmeyer, Business Writer