New York City preservationists’ dream of docking an historic ocean liner on the Brooklyn waterfront appears all but sunk — but they’re making a last-ditch appeal to President Donald Trump to make the ship great again.
The S.S. United States reached Mobile, Alabama, on Monday after it was towed from Philadelphia over a two-week journey. The majestic 990-foot vessel will be stripped at the Port of Mobile and scuttled off the coast of Okaloosa County in Florida, where officials say it will become the world's largest artificial reef.
The ship's 1,800-nautical-mile trip from its berth in the City of Brotherly Love appeared to represent the death knell of preservationists’ dream to convert it into a floating museum and business hub docked in Red Hook. But they are not yet giving up on the vessel, which set the transatlantic speed record in 1952.
“The SSUS could become among the greatest economic and cultural sites in Brooklyn,” the New York Coalition to Save the Steam Ship United States wrote in a letter to Trump. “As we stand at the crossroads of the preservation [versus] Destruction of a monument to American innovation, it is imperative that we acknowledge the gravity of inaction."
"The SSUS, an iconic and irreplaceable testament to American achievement, is on the brink of being lost forever," the group added. "This is not just a matter of preserving a historic vessel: it is about honoring the legacy of American greatness. We implore you take prompt executive action by ordering the taking of this precious symbol of American engineering and shipbuilding for public use and with just compensation to Okaloosa County.”
The White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry.
Dan McSweeney, founder of the S.S. United States Conservancy, said he’s going to keep fighting for the ship as long as it's still floating.
“ I think we'll attract financial investors that can help make this a reality. So we're not giving up,” said McSweeney, who is no longer with the conservancy.
The S.S. United States in New York Harbor in 1952.
The coalition to save the ship has the backing of Brooklyn businessman John Quadrozzi Jr., who said he was ready for the S.S. United States to be moored at waterfront property he owns in Gowanus Bay. Quadrozzi is among the local ship lovers who floated the idea of using the ocean liner as an event space and incubator for small businesses focused on sustainability.
In its heyday, the S.S. United States was one of the most famous ships in the world. Celebrities who set sail on the ship include Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando. The ship’s historic journey between England and New York City, which set the transatlantic speed record, concluded with a ticker-tape parade. A recent blog post by the city’s Department of Records noted that the superliner’s captain appeared on the cover of Time Magazine.
The ship was retired in 1969. It berthed in Philadelphia in 1996, where it fell into further disrepair until Florida's Okaloosa County bought it for $1 million, with plans to turn it into a diving attraction.
“Okaloosa County fully intends to deploy the S.S. United States at the world’s largest artificial reef,” said Nick Tomecek, a county spokesperson.
McSweeney, the conservancy founder, acknowledged that towing the ship back to New York Harbor would be a herculean task.
“In some ways, it's a Hail Mary. But you know what? That ship deserves it,” he said.
