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KEOKUK, IA -- The Mighty Mississippi devastated many communities last summer when the river overflowed its banks.

The South Side Boat Club in Keokuk was one of many structures destroyed.

Now its owners face the difficult process of rebuilding.

KHQA's Jarod Wells found out more information about the future of this facility and the business for this KHQA FactFinder Report.

Is the boat club definitely going to be coming back?

"The Southside Boat club is definitely coming back," said Club Trustee Kathy Farris.  "It will be above flood stage and it will be there for a long time."

Not much is left of the Southside Boat Club after last summer's flooding. Mayor Dave Gudgel said the facility was decimated with hardly anything left to salvage. He says the club provided a greatly needed service for Tri-State citizens, but the price tag may be too much to bring that service back.

The South Side Boat Club has asked the city council to help with some of the funding for the rebuilding process. But no decisions will be made until it's determined how the boat club fits in with the master plan for the entire Keokuk Riverfront.

"I can't speak for the council and I won't attempt to," said Mayor Gudgel, "but I do know that this particular city council takes very seriously the Southside Boat Club's plight and realizes that it is an asset."

Club Trustee Kathy Farris said the club has about 1/5th of the nearly $500,000 it will need to rebuild the facility. That money came from the flood insurance settlement. The club is holding fund raisers to continue to raise more money. Mayor Gudgel told me the council cannot start serious talks about money until it sees the final riverfront plan. But he says the boat club is an asset the city can't lose.

"There's a great need for them to come back better, stronger and more viable then what they were," said Gudgel.  "Especially in the light of the fact that we, the city wants to attempt to make the riverfront all that it can be."

"I think when it's all said and done," said Farris, "I think the members and the community will say they like it."

The Durrant Group of Dubuque is putting together the master plan for the Keokuk river front.

It's expected to be finished by the end of March, at which point the council will discuss how the club will fit in.