Following months of protracted legal arguments, the fate of the SS United States has now been set and the ship will formally be handed over to Okaloosa County, Florida on Saturday, October 12.
This follows court-ordered mediation between the SS United States Conservancy and Penn Warehousing, which owns and operates the pier the vessel has called home since 1996.
Through the mediation, the final agreement has been reached with compromises on both sides. While the SS United States Conservancy is not liable for the dramatically increased rental fees imposed by Penn Warehousing, the ship must still vacate the pier as ordered.
The full details of the confidential settlement have not yet been confirmed by the court, though this formality is assuredly coming and the ship will begin her move in the days to come.
The goal of the SS United States Conservancy has been to preserve the ship’s incredible legacy as “America’s Flagship” and ensure she is able to delight and educate visitors for generations to come. Unfortunately, this will not happen as the Conservancy had hoped.
“We worked with a prominent New York developer for over five years on an exciting plan for the ship’s commercial activation. Late last year, we revealed details of this design and program that showed how America’s Flagship could have been transformed into a privately funded, world-class, mixed-use destination in New York,” the Conservancy explained.
While those plans were in place, a pier location and government support of the project was not to be found, and ultimately, the plan proved unfeasible. In the meantime, the ship continued to decay and pressure from Penn Warehousing mounted through repeated legal challenges.
“Faced with no options to save the SS United States in her current state and under a binding court order, we were left with the painful but unavoidable choice between scrapping America’s Flagship or converting her into an artificial reef in tandem with a land-based museum,” the Conservancy acknowledged. “We chose the latter as the most dignified path.”
Okaloosa County, Florida, approved a contingent contract of for the ship’s purchase and conversion to an artificial coral reef, which will be located off the Destin-Fort Worth Beach coast. More than $10 million will be necessary to move the vessel, prepare for its conversion, and ultimately sink the ship in the proper location.
What the Ship Will Now Provide
While the outcome of the negotiations may not be what the SS United States Conservancy had ultimately hoped for, the entire ship will not be lost.
Part of the deal with Okaloosa County is that a land-based museum will be part of the ship’s future experience, and key parts of the vessel will be preserved in that museum to showcase the vessel’s history.
“This unique experience will be enhanced by a state-of-the-art museum that will blend the latest technology with our expansive collections of original artifacts and artwork from the ship,” the Conservancy said.
Among those artifacts for the future visitor center will be one of the ship’s statuesque funnels, her radar mast, and detailed recreations of key spaces that utilize original materials and artifacts salvaged from the vessel.
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While this is not the best case scenario the Conservancy had hoped for, it does ensure the ship is preserved in some fashion, making her available for guests.
“Once deployed by Okaloosa County, more people will be able to visit and learn about the ship in the space of one year than have had that opportunity since she left seagoing service more than a half century ago,” the Conservancy said. “Together we will see the extraordinary story of America’s Flagship, and her inspiring spirit, continue to endure — above and below the waterline.”
This museum will preserve the ship’s legacy and introduce her to future generations, enlightening them to American ingenuity, engineering expertise, and oceangoing strength.
No timeline has yet been set for when the museum and reef may be open, but the Conservancy is sure to continue to be involved in ensuring the ship is properly honored and preserved as befits her amazing story.
