Court-ordered mediation is underway in the case of the SS United States, the historic transatlantic ocean liner that has been sitting at Philadelphia’s Pier 82 since 1996 and is now embroiled in a legal battle over its future.
The ship was to be evicted from the pier for nonpayment of rent by its caretaker SS United States Conservancy, a group founded in 2011 to save the iconic ship from the scrap metal pile.
After filing an urgent motion on September 12, 2024 against landlord Penn Warehousing & Distribution to extend the ship’s removal deadline, a judge on September 20, 2024 ordered the parties to enter mediation.
U.S. District Court Senior Judge Anita B. Brody, who ruled that the two parties must engage in mediation, had earlier decided in June 2024 that the ship must vacate the dock by September 12, 2024. Her about-face came after the conservancy filed its urgent motion.
Her order temporarily suspends the deadline, providing time for the conservancy group and the pier owner to continue negotiations. Progress has been made, the conservancy revealed on September 20, 2024, but more time is needed to end the dispute.
“The Conservancy’s efforts in the days ahead will continue to center around conducting good faith negotiations and ensuring that the legacy of America’s Flagship endures and inspires for future generations,” the SS United States Conservancy said.
Built in 1952, the ship was designed by naval architect William Francis Gibbs. At the time it was the biggest passenger ship constructed in the US, at 990 feet long, and the fastest, able to sail at 38 knots.
It was often referred to as America’s Flagship, and still holds the record for the fastest passenger ship crossing of the Atlantic, in three days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes.
The SS United States Conservancy has been battling with the pier owner, Penn Warehousing, since 2021, when the landlord doubled the ship’s docking fees to $1,700 per day.
Unable to pay that amount, which comes to over $600,000 per year, the conservancy was issued a termination of its lease in 2022. The two entities have been involved in legal wrangling ever since.
The conservancy’s plan to save the ship involves selling the vessel to Okaloosa County, Florida, where it is slated to become an artificial reef in the waters off the Florida Panhandle.
Conservancy Group Charges Default Attempt by Landlord
The SS United States Conservancy has criticized Penn Warehousing in recent weeks, charging that it is trying to force the conservancy into default so that it can seize the ship and sell it.
Read Also: Where Do Cruise Ships Go To Die? The Dismantling Process
SS United States Ocean Liner (Photo Credit: PTS Aerial Services)
The urgent motion also accused the company of requiring $3 million from the conservancy and Okaloosa County, in a bid to block the ship’s relocation. Earlier reports indicated that the conservancy owes the landlord more than $700,000 in fees and back rent.
Efforts to save the SS United States have largely depended on private donations and fundraisers held by the conservancy. Several years ago, the group launched the “We are the United States” campaign, with a goal of raising $500,000.
At that time, the conservancy was still considering renovating the ship and making it a landmark attraction, similar to the Queen Mary destination in Long Beach, California.
However, that never came to fruition, and the plan now is to use the SS United States as an underwater attraction — an artificial reef.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
