Current:Home > MyA Florida county’s plan to turn a historic ship into the world’s largest artificial reef hits a snag-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
A Florida county’s plan to turn a historic ship into the world’s largest artificial reef hits a snag
View Date:2024-12-23 21:01:43
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida county is in talks to acquire a storied but aging ocean liner in a proposed deal that could create the largest artificial reef in the world.
But the plan hit a snag Tuesday, after local officials in coastal Okaloosa County in the Florida panhandle postponed a vote on the plan to buy and purposefully sink the SS United States.
The largest passenger ship ever built in the U.S., the SS United States shattered a record for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing by a passenger liner on its maiden voyage in 1952, The Associated Press reported from aboard the ship.
Now the historic vessel is in a race against time to find a new resting place, after a court set a Sept. 12 deadline for the ship to vacate its current home at a pier in Philadelphia, following a yearslong legal dispute over rent and dockage fees.
Options include scrapping the massive ocean liner — which is more than 100 feet (30 meters) longer than the Titanic — or purposefully sinking it to create an artificial reef. Officials in Florida’s Okaloosa County hope to do just that: send the SS United States to the bottom of the Gulf to create the world’s largest artificial reef — a diving attraction that boosters hope will generate millions of dollars a year in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.
“Most divers are going to be very excited,” said David Bailey, a member of the Emerald Coast Scubaholics dive club. “But any of the reefing program is about more than just diving. ... Build the reefs, you get the fish.”
County staff have been tracking the status of the boat since 2022, with advocates arguing the SS United States could be a barnacle-encrusted star in the county’s constellation of more than 500 artificial reefs.
But at a meeting of Okaloosa’s Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, staff asked that a vote on the proposal be postponed until the board’s next meeting on Sept. 17.
“We’ve hit a wrinkle with the pier operators,” County Administrator John Hofstad explained.
A spokesperson for the county said officials there are actively working with the SS United States Conservancy, the group behind the effort to save the ship, but declined to make further comments about the status of the proposal.
___ 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! (194)
Related
- Prosecutor failed to show that Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
- Daniel Radcliffe Details Meeting Harry Potter Costar Maggie Smith in Moving Tribute
- People are supporting 'book sanctuaries' despite politics: 'No one wants to be censored'
- Shohei Ohtani 50-50 home run ball: Auction starts with lawsuit looming
- Why Dolly Parton Is a Fan of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Little Love Affair
- Florida financial adviser indicted in alleged illegal tax shelter scheme
- People are supporting 'book sanctuaries' despite politics: 'No one wants to be censored'
- Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Alum Kim Richards Gets Into Confrontation With Sister Kyle Richards
- At age 44, Rich Hill's baseball odyssey continues - now with Team USA
- Wisconsin Supreme Court says Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name will remain on swing state’s ballot
Ranking
- Here's Your First Look at The White Lotus Season 3 With Blackpink’s Lisa and More Stars
- North Carolina appeals court blocks use of university’s digital ID for voting
- AI Is Everywhere Now—and It’s Sucking Up a Lot of Water
- Lululemon's Latest We Made Too Much Drops -- $29 Belt Bags, $49 Align Leggings & More Under $99 Finds
- My Chemical Romance will perform 'The Black Parade' in full during 2025 tour: See dates
- 5 people killed in a 4-vehicle chain reaction crash on central Utah highway
- What to watch: George Clooney, Brad Pitt's howl of fame
- Here's how Lionel Messi, Inter Miami can win second title together as early as Wednesday
Recommendation
-
Gavin Rossdale Makes Rare Public Appearance With Girlfriend Xhoana Xheneti
-
Rescuers save and assist hundreds as Helene’s storm surge and rain create havoc
-
Kylie Jenner's Pal Yris Palmer Shares What It’s Really Like Having a Playdate With Her Kids
-
Shawn Johnson Reveals the Milestone 9-Month-Old Son Bear Hit That Nearly Gave Her a Heart Attack
-
Repair Hair Damage In Just 90 Seconds With This Hack from WNBA Star Kamilla Cardoso
-
Ohio’s fall redistricting issue sparked a fight over one word. So what is ‘gerrymandering,’ anyway?
-
Federal government postpones sale of floating offshore wind leases along Oregon coast
-
North Carolina appeals court blocks use of university’s digital ID for voting