After weeks of uncertainty about the fate of the SS United Statesthe Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners has approved a conditional contract to acquire the famous ship and sink it off the coast of Florida.
On Tuesday, October 1, the Province of Florida, Destin-Fort Walton Beach and SS United States Conservancy, which currently owns the ship, announced that an agreement had been reached to move the ship from Philadelphia to build an artificial reef for the coast in the region. Gulf of Mexico.
“As you know, we have worked for more than a decade to repurpose America’s flagship, and we remain confident that it can succeed as a mixed-use floating destination,” the Conservancy said. “However, this plan to use the SS United States as the world’s largest artificial reef would save the ship from scrapping.”
As part of the deal between Okaloosa County and the Conservancy, funding will also go toward the creation of an onshore museum that the Conservancy says will “educate the public about the SS United States and her legacy, showcase iconic components of the ship integrate and provide public access to our extensive archival and curatorial collections.”
Back on September 24, Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council voted unanimously to appropriate $10.1 million to move the SS US from its current home base at Pier 82 in South Philadelphia to Florida. That money will also help with remediation and deployment, and partially fund the SS US museum.
According to the province, once sunk, the nearly 1,000-foot ocean liner would create the world’s largest artificial reef.
Okaloosa County and the Conservancy said the deal could close in the coming weeks, “subject to the completion of the current U.S. court-ordered mediation.”
For months, the SS United States was at the center of a protracted legal battle over how long the ship could remain docked in Philadelphia, where it has been since 1996. In August, a federal judge sided with Penn Warehousing — owner of the ship dock — and ruled the SS U.S. could not stay at Pier 82 after September 12th.
Penn Warehousing said in court filings that it was prepared to impose a $3 million fine if the ship was still docked as of Sept. 13, an amount it said amounts to lost profits and revenue.
In September, the Conservancy submitted a motion to keep the ship docked in South Philly until December and accused Penn Warehousing of acting “in bad faith” and preventing the organization from removing the ship. At the same time, plans were being developed let Okaloosa County take over the SS US.
Later that month, a judge suspended the deportation period for the SS United States as the Conservancy, Okaloosa County and pier owners participated in court-ordered mediation.
Originally built to move troops in the event of war, the SS United States was eventually converted into a cruise ship and was considered the fastest ship in the world at the time.
During the 17 years that the SS US was on the high seas, its famous passengers included four American presidents (Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy and a young Bill Clinton), Judy Garland, Coco Chanel, Sean Connery, Marilyn Monroe and Walt Disney.
