Current:Home > StocksA 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 22:13:14
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! (4222)
Related
- Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out of Retirement at 40
- Geomagnetic storm could hinder radios, satellites as Hurricane Milton makes landfall
- Tuna is increasingly popular in the US. But is it good for you?
- Why RHOSLC's Lisa Barlow Is Calling This Costar a F--king B--ch
- We Can Tell You How to Get to Sesame Street—and Even More Secrets About the Beloved Show
- Geomagnetic storm could hinder radios, satellites as Hurricane Milton makes landfall
- Record-Breaking Heat Waves Add to Risks for Western Monarchs
- Drake Bell reflects on the aftermath of 'Quiet on Set' revelations: 'An emotional rollercoaster'
- Full House Star Dave Coulier Shares Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Diagnosis
- Over 200 price gouging complaints as Florida residents evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton
Ranking
- Bodyless head washes ashore on a South Florida beach
- Why Ana Huang’s Romance Novel The Striker Is BookTok's New Obsession
- Supreme Court takes up death row case with a rare alliance. Oklahoma inmate has state’s support
- Influencer Caroline Calloway Says She Will Not Evacuate Florida Home Ahead of Hurricane Milton
- Georgia public universities and colleges see enrollment rise by 6%
- This California ballot measure promises money for health care. Its critics warn it could backfire
- Chicago Bears stay focused on city’s lakefront for new stadium, team president says
- First and 10: Even Lincoln Riley's famed offense can't bail USC out of mess
Recommendation
-
Businesses at struggling corner where George Floyd was killed sue Minneapolis
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hot in Here
-
Voters in the US don’t directly elect the president. Sometimes that can undermine the popular will
-
Small plane crashes on Catalina Island, 5 people dead
-
DWTS' Sasha Farber Claps Back at Diss From Jenn Tran's Ex Devin Strader
-
October Prime Day 2024: Score Up to 76% Off Top Earbuds & Headphones from Apple, Beats, Sony, Bose & More
-
Nazi-looted Monet artwork returned to family generations later
-
Vermont college chapel renamed over eugenics link can keep new title, judge says