SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio City Council on Thursday voted for a new barge operator on the San Antonio River.
Council members voted 10-1 to approve a 10-year, $100 million contract for Go Rio San Antonio to operate river barges and taxis beginning Oct. 1.
"We want to say 'muchísimas gracias' -- a heartfelt thank you to Mayor Ivy Taylor and the San Antonio City Council for placing your faith in and your support of a local, San Antonio partnership of two Latina businesswomen, Hope Andrade and Lisa Wong, and our operational partner, Landry's," Go Rio officials said in a news release.
San Antonio River Cruises was the other finalist for the contract.
"It is clear that Go Rio will produce greater economic returns to the city by proposing a significantly higher minimum annual guarantee, $73 Million over $45 million, resulting in $28 million higher revenues to the city," District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales said. "Both proposals exhibited the capacity to operate and maintain the barges and deploy their locally-based programming, but Go Rio more fully considered the local preference and SBEDA policies, given the 51 percent ownership of two highly-qualified Hispanic businesswomen."
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