Mollye BarrowsPensacola News Journal
Show Caption
The ship may have sailed, so to speak, when it comes to Escambia County purchasing the historic ocean liner, SS United States. Okaloosa County signed an agreement to purchase the ship, although the agreement must be ratified by the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners. They're scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday to ratify the executed contract.
The move comes just a day after Escambia's Tourist Development Council decided to put off a discussion about purchasing the grand ocean liner. The proposal was to sink it in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef, but the delay may have cost them the opportunity now that Okaloosa County signed an agreement to purchase it and sink it off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
Escambia’s Marine Advisory Committee asked commissioners to consider supporting the idea saying the ship would be a welcome addition to the area’s artificial reefs and provide a needed diving attraction that would be even bigger than the Oriskany, at nearly 1,000 feet long and roughly 175 feet tall.
"It's very disappointing that we won't be getting it here," said Kerry Freeland, Marine Advisory Committee chairman, who attended Thursday's TDC meeting. "It's hard to imagine us not feeling a little slide backwards now that the larger reef is going to be down the road. I feel sorry for our charter boat captains, but once again, maybe we can just hurry up and get something else that's of that size and get people to come back over here."
Escambia’s Board of County Commissioners decided at their last meeting on Aug. 1 to see if there was interest from the TDC board in helping fund the proposal to obtain the ship. It would cost an estimated $8.6 million to tow the SS United States from Philadelphia where it’s docked now, clean out pollutants, then sink it in the Gulf of Mexico.
Commissioners and members of the diving and charter boat community supported the proposal, but the board wanted input from the TDC because they did not want to pull money from the county's General Fund for the project and were looking for some financial support from the TDC. Neighboring counties, like Okaloosa County, tap into TDC dollars to fund sinking various boats for their artificial reef programs and attract out-of-town divers and tourists.
However, there was no input from the TDC because the board tabled discussion of the proposal after Thursday afternoon’s meeting ran longer than some board members expected, and two members left before the meeting ended, which left the board without a quorum.
"I think the TDC was going to give a million, and they had raised a little under $4 million, and we were still $3 to $4 million short," said Escambia County Commissioner Mike Kohler. "Even though I really wanted to get there and get it, so it's just unfortunate to me, but I'm not surprised."
Supporters had wanted to act quickly because the ship is being evicted from the Philadelphia port by mid-September. The SS United States Conservancy confirms the looming deadline is a factor in the decision.
“As we’ve indicated previously, in an urgent effort to comply with theJudge’s initial ruling and subsequent hearing in U.S. District Court, the Conservancy has been in discussions on a range of scenarios for the ship’s future, including proposals to deploy the SSUnited Statesas an artificial reefin tandem with a land-based museum. Itwould be inappropriate for the Conservancy to comment further until the Okaloosa Board ofCounty Commissionersconsiders the contingent contract,” the SS United States Conservancy said in a statement.
Escambia Commissioner Jeff Bergosh, who is a member of the Tourist Development Council, said he would bring the proposal up for discussion at the next TDC meeting and asked staff to prepare a presentation. That proposal was never heard after two members, Jim Reeves and Shirley Cronley, abruptly left.
The meeting, which started at 3 p.m., had run to about 5:30 p.m. when Reeves wanted to table discussion of the SS United States as well as proposals to put $60 million toward an indoor sports facility at Ashton Brosnaham Park and $30 million for improvements to the Pensacola Bay Center, which had already taken up much of the board’s time. The board was unable to vote on any issues after the pair left.
Sinking millions into sinking ship: $8.6 million needed to sink SS United States in Gulf. Why some say it's worth the money.
Several members of the public still spoke to the remaining board members about their hope that the TDC would help fund the project. They said the investment would pay off in the long run by attracting divers, tourists, and media attention.
“I've been running charters here in Pensacola for 12 years now and I'm all for the SS United States,” said Captain Andy Ross with NiuhiDive Charter. “It'd be a huge boon to put us back on the map for a dive destination. I think I'd bring in maybe a thousand divers a year just in my small business and that equals probably 3,000 or 4,000 people because they bring their families. Their families are fishing and they're going on the beach and they're spending money and they're doing all that stuff while the husband is diving.”
Others in the diving and fishing community echoed similar sentiments.
“I've got a limit on my comments. I'll wait for the special meeting for most of it,” said Ocean Strike Team founder Brady Hale. “I just do want to encourage you to pay attention to the new economic study that's come out talking about the economic impact and a lot better numbers than we had before. And just from a marketing tourism perspective, we will never get a ship better in the entire world than this wreck right here that's this big, that has this history.”
While disappointed, Escambia Marine Resources says they are not giving up on building up the county's artificial reef program. They're eyeing another vessel to purchase and hope to have more success with the next proposal.
"There's another vessel that's been identified," said Freeland. "It's pretty large, 800 feet, and this could grease the skids for getting that vessel. My takeaway is what we've been saying all along, reefing these ships has a significant value and impact on tourism and the economy. Apparently Okaloosa is aware of that and perhaps it will be easier to pave the way for the next ship in Escambia."
