Current:Home > MarketsHistoric ship could soon become the world’s largest artificial reef -Prime Capital Blueprint
Historic ship could soon become the world’s largest artificial reef
View
Date:2025-04-15 12:35:07
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A historic ocean liner that once ferried immigrants, Hollywood stars and heads of state may soon find its final resting place at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, after a Florida county inked a tentative deal to turn the ship into the world’s largest artificial reef.
The contract approved Tuesday by officials in Okaloosa County on Florida’s coastal Panhandle is contingent upon the resolution of court-imposed mediation, after a judge ordered the storied but aging ship to vacate its berth at a pier in Philadelphia, following a yearslong dispute over rent and dockage fees.
The largest passenger ship ever built in the U.S., the SS United States shattered a record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by a passenger liner on its maiden voyage in 1952, The Associated Press reported from aboard the vessel.
But the ship has been in a race against time to find a new home, with conservationists scrambling to find an alternative to scrapping the massive ocean liner, which is more than 100 feet (30 meters) longer than the Titanic.
The solution: sink it on purpose and create what supporters hope will be a barnacle-encrusted star in Okaloosa County’s constellation of more than 500 artificial reefs, making it a signature diving attraction that could generate millions of dollars a year in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.
“To have an opportunity to have the SS United States right here by our shore is a heritage and a legacy that is generational,” said Okaloosa County Commissioner Mel Ponder. “I’m very excited for not only what it does for the diving community, but also the fishing community, but the community at large.”
The deal to buy the ship, which officials said could cost more than $10 million, could close in a matter of weeks, pending court mediation. The lengthy process of cleaning, transporting and sinking the vessel is expected to take at least 1.5 years.
“The SS United States has inspired millions the world over as a symbol of American pride and excellence,” said Susan Gibbs, president of the SS United States Conservancy, the nonprofit working to preserve the vessel. “Should the ship be converted into an artificial reef, she will become a unique historic attraction above and below the waterline.”
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
veryGood! (43725)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- US producer prices slide 0.5% in October, biggest drop since 2020
- 5 years after bankruptcy, Toys R Us continues comeback with store inside Mall of America
- Bradley Cooper on Maestro
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- 'King of scratchers' wins $5 million California Lottery prize sticking to superstition
- From F1's shoey bar to a wedding chapel: Best Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend experiences
- Former Fox News reporter says in lawsuit he was targeted after challenging Jan. 6 coverage
- Average rate on 30
- At the UN’s top court, Venezuela vows to press ahead with referendum on future of disputed region
Ranking
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- German union calls on train drivers to strike this week in a rancorous pay dispute
- Live updates | Israeli tanks enter Gaza’s Shifa Hospital compound
- Gwyneth Paltrow says her husband is similar to late Bruce Paltrow: 'I finally chose my dad'
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Landlord arrested after 3 people found stabbed to death in New York City home
- A third round of US sanctions against Hamas focuses on money transfers from Iran to Gaza
- Kourtney Kardashian Subtly Hints She Welcomed Baby Boy With Travis Barker
Recommendation
Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
Ex-Philippine President Duterte summoned by prosecutor for allegedly threatening a lawmaker
Faithful dog survives 10 weeks, stays with owner who died of hypothermia in Colorado mountains
Ex-officer Derek Chauvin makes another bid to overturn federal conviction in murder of George Floyd
Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
Teachers union and school committee in Massachusetts town reach deal to end strike
Judge’s ruling advances plan to restructure $10 billion debt of Puerto Rico’s power company
Pink fights 'hateful' book bans with pledge to give away 2,000 banned books at Florida shows