The St Paul Pioneer Press has the latest on the condo craze. "David Nelson came up with an idea: Why not build a..floating retirement community, that could treat its residents to nautical adventures similar to his own? The St. Paul native has finally translated that dream into the most unusual condominium proposal the city has ever seen. His River Cities concept is a cross between a river barge and a four-level, 200-unit cruise ship."

"Condo buyers would tour Nelson's favorite haunts, from the sand bars of Destin, Fla., to the riverfront parks in Memphis, without ever leaving home."

"His concept has also raised questions about property taxes, docking rights and the size and scale of each boat, Nelson envisions them the length of five football fields, making them the largest passenger vessels on the Mississippi River. 'I talk to a lot of people, and they say, 'Wow, what a cool idea,' said Nelson. 'But whether it actually grabs people enough that they'll say, 'Yeah, I want to buy,' that's always the key.'"

"Nelson's prices range from $275,000 to $474,000 for units that go from 528 to 924 square feet. He said he designed his model, comprising four adjoining barges, to appeal to buyers who lack the means to own a private yacht. 'I've got prices on this thing where middle-class people can participate in a millionaire's dream,' he said."

"Nelson has reacted to a host of challenges while developing his plans over the past two years. Each boat, powered by motors in back, would be designed to split in half to pass through tight channels."

"Perhaps the biggest challenge will come from the market itself. Nelson is readying to launch his idea at a time when gas prices have skyrocketed and condo sales have sagged. He estimates it would take at least $80 million to build each boat over roughly 2½ years."

"Given the novelty of his dreams, Nelson has struggled to find financing for construction and individual mortgages. Residents would share annual maintenance and cruising costs, ranging from $8,200 to $21,700 per unit."

"'What's unique about this is that these people will have a sense of ownership of the entire Mississippi River that few other people would,' said Patrick Seeb, head of the St. Paul Riverfront Corp. 'These projects are never easy,' he said, referring to ambitious riverfront proposals that include the Bridges, which Seeb has criticized. 'You have to hand it to people for being creative and trying to find ideas unique in the marketplace.'"