RED HOOK — A coalition of preservationists and environmentalists is racing to save the SS United States, the largest and most famous ocean liner ever built in the United States.
The celebrated vessel, launched in 1951 and bigger than the Titanic, still holds the transatlantic speed record and remains a symbol of America’s proud maritime history, members of the ‘New York Coalition to Save the SS United States’ said Thursday.
The coalition includes Brooklyn industrialist John Quadrozzi Jr., members of the Lower Manhattan Historical Association and others.
But preservationists worry that it may soon be too late, as the ship’s current owner, Okaloosa County, prepares to transport the vessel from its current berth in south Philadelphia to a docking area in Mobile, Alabama. There, the SSUS will be stripped, over the course of a year, to get it ready to be sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, about 20 miles south of Dustin, Florida.
A source told the Brooklyn Eagle that the United States Coast Guard on Thursday issued a last-minute cancellation of the move, with no new date scheduled. No reason was supplied for the delay. The Eagle reached out to the Coast Guard for confirmation of this change in schedule.
The SS United States, a storied but aging ocean liner, is moored on the Delaware River waterfront, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
Tourist attraction under the sea
Okaloosa County’s Tourist Development Department hopes to use the historic vessel to attract scuba-diving tourists to the area as “the World’s Largest Artificial Reef.”
“As the World’s Largest Artificial Reef, the story of the SSUS will be told to thousands of divers from around the world as they explore her unique design and features. She will also benefit her surrounding ecosystem and become home to countless marine species,” the City of Destin claims on its website.
Okaloosa County says it is partnering with the ship’s original stewards — the SS United States Conservancy — as “it pivots to develop a land-based museum in Destin-Fort Walton Beach that will celebrate and commemorate the nation’s flagship.” The SS United States Conservancy in 2024 was unsuccessful in finding another berth for the vessel. Daniel McSweeney, a ship preservationist and former member of the SS United States Conservancy, has joined the coalition as a leader.
Brooklyn industrialist John Quadrozzi Jr., owner of the GBX~Gowanus Bay Terminal. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle
A blow to national pride
Members of the coalition are aghast at the thought of sinking the country’s most celebrated cruise ship.
Not only would destroying the SSUS be a blow to national pride, but sinking it poses significant environmental risks, including the release of toxic materials into the ocean, the group says.
In January, the coalition issued an impassioned letter to the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners, urging them to work with the preservationists to save the vessel.
“To us, the proposed reefing of this Ship, which is the largest, fastest, and most famous ocean liner ever built in the United States, would be a profound disgrace to all Americans,” the coalition wrote. “We urge you not to permit these actions, and to work with us in our mission to save the Ship from this ignominious end.”
The SS United States, a storied but aging ocean liner, is moored on the Delaware River waterfront, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
Quadrozzi Jr., owner of the GBX~Gowanus Bay Terminal and a longtime supporter of sustainable industry, wants to return the ship to its former glory and moor it on the Brooklyn waterfront in Red Hook. He frets that the current owners are already stripping it of its historical fittings.
“We’re also concerned the vessel could be lost in transport,” Quadrozzi told the Brooklyn Eagle. “Our mission is steadfast to save the ship. We have a significant amount of information we believe will be released soon — and we feel that keeping the SSUS afloat in Brooklyn is better than sinking it to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.”
While the previous attempt to renovate the ship for use on the West Side of Manhattan was unsuccessful, Quadrozzi said the Brooklyn site was solid. The coalition’s proposal would moor the SSUS at his GBX~Gowanus Bay Terminal – Columbia Street Wharf in South Red Hook.
The SSUS could be “a fantastic tourist attraction, cultural facility or industrial/residential complex,” Quadrozzi wrote in the coalition letter. “We note that ocean liners such as the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, have been successfully repurposed with great benefit to their communities.”
The bridge of the SS United States, a storied but aging ocean liner moored on the Delaware River waterfront is seen, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
The coalition’s redevelopment plans would not only generate jobs and stimulate local economic growth, but it would incorporate sustainable features, including rainwater capture and renewable energy resources, “to minimize the ship’s environmental footprint while preserving its historic integrity,” Quadrozzi said.
Michael Lewis, the coalition’s executive program director, called the SSUS a masterpiece of mid-century modern design.
“The ship’s Art Deco and Streamline Moderne influences are beautifully integrated into its design, creating a unique and iconic aesthetic that continues to captivate audiences today,” Lewis said in a statement. He said the ship deserved to be preserved not just for its historical significance, but “also for its enduring beauty and design excellence.”
Other members of the coalition include Jason Wade, chief preservation officer and James S. Kaplan, chair of the Lower Manhattan Historical Association and founding partner Greenberg & Kaplan, LLP.
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