The ships new owners and their South Philly landlords are working out a new lease that would extend through January as the vessel undergoes additional U.S. Coast Guard scrutiny.
The ships new owners and their South Philly landlords are working out a new lease that would extend through January as the vessel undergoes additional U.S. Coast Guard scrutiny. “America’s Flagship,” the SS United States ocean liner at Pier 82 in South Philadelphia off Delaware Ave.
is reflected in the roof of a parked car Aug. 26, 2024. It is the largest ocean liner constructed entirely in the United States and the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic in either direction, retaining the Blue Riband for the highest average speed since her maiden voyage in 1952, a title it still holds. It has been there since 1996.Another deadline arrives Thursday and the SS United States remains at its South Philadelphia berth until a new timeline is set for its slated cleanup in Alabama. The delay, however, comes with a late fee of $100,000 for the ship’s new owners in Okaloosa County, Fla., who hope to be able eventually to sink the boat and turn it into an artificial reef. In the grand scheme of things, $100,000 is but a drop in the bucket of the amount past owners have spent on the ship, which exceeds $40 million since it was brought to Philly in 1996. Various owners have sunk more than $40 million into buying, maintaining, and reimagining the SS United States during its time in Philly Despite the penalty, the relationship between Okaloosa County and the ship’s Pier 82 landlord, Penn Warehousing, appears to be nowhere near as strained as that of pier operators and the ship’s past owners, the SS United States Conservancy. Only a few months ago, the attorneys for Penn Warehousing were asking a federal judge to force the ship’s stewards tofollowing a drawn-out rent dispute — even if that meant the vessel be scrapped. At the heart of Penn Warehousing’s complaint was a daily dockage fee set in 2011 in a berthing agreement that was purposely loose because both parties entered it with no real sense of when the ship would find a new home. Neither party expected the former ocean liner to remain rusting in South Philly more than a decade later, paying the same $850 in daily rent.Penn Warehousing attorney Craig Mills described Okaloosa County as a “terrific” tenant and proactive, noting the county asked for an invoice of the penalty weeks before it was due, knowing the ship wouldn’t be out in time. “They paid to put extra security on the pier after we had that incident with the knuckleheads climbing on board,” added Mills, Okaloosa County allocated $10 million for the purchase, cleaning, and transport of the ship, budgeting rent in their expenses. Mills said both parties are working to extend the berthing agreement through January as Okaloosa continues to work with the local, state, and federal agencies involved in the move. Still, there is no new move date for the vessel.. The U.S. Coast Guard issued an order that calls for additional testing on the ship, which is incapable of self-propulsion and would require tugboats to get it out of Philadelphia, said public affairs specialist Olinda Romero. “These are to make sure that it is seaworthy,” Romero said. “So in order to be seaworthy, it would have to be able to move without any issues.”order and testing as “very routine.” She said they give the Coast Guard added “operational control” on issues regarding safety, security, and environmental risks. For its part, Okaloosa County is confident the ship will pass muster; it’s just a matter of when. Still, the county did push back on recent headlines that suggested there was a “new” concern the SS United States would not be able to clear the Walt Whitman Bridge. “The bridge has always been there,” Tomecek said. “We’ve always factored in the bridge at the move, which is why we plan to move the vessel at low tide. What I’ll say is that vessel made it there perfectly fine in 1996 and it’s going to make it out of Philadelphia perfectly fine.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Departure date of SS United States from Philly to Alabama delayedThe departure date of the historic SS United States from Philadelphia has been delayed, officials announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Read more »
The SS United States’ move from Philly has been delayedOfficials from Okaloosa County said the delay is so they can “ensure logistical details and procedures maintain ideal conditions for the move.”
Read more »
SS United States departure delayed for journey from Philly to FloridaTurns out the S.S. United States will be in Philadelphia a little longer after all!
Read more »
Proceeds from the final Philly Specials album to help get Philadelphia students holiday giftsThe final Philly Specials album, A Philly Special Christmas Party, goes on sale Friday!
Read more »
FYI Philly gets you ready for 6abc Thanksgiving Day Parade, holidays in PhillyGet in the holiday spirit with Philly's iconic parade, things to do to celebrate the season and the Nutcracker on stage.
Read more »
This week in Philly history: Philly hosts America’s first Thanksgiving Day paradeOn Nov. 25, 1920, the Gimbel Brothers hosted the first Thanksgiving Day parade in Philadelphia.
Read more »