Sink Or Swim? Long Beach Officials Debate Saving Queen Mary Or Sinking It Into Ocean

By Web Staff

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    LONG BEACH, California (KCAL, KCBS) — The fate of the Queen Mary, an iconic rusted, floating tourist attraction, is up in the air after a report commissioned by the Long Beach city council.

The ship is in dire need of expensive repairs that come with eminent risks of flooding. The 54-year tourist attraction has not been turning a profit for various operators that have bailed out of ownership over the years. It is now owned by the city, giving local leaders tough choices to make.

One option to save the ship is to preserve it where it is at, which would cost anywhere from $25 to 50 million and another five million dollars a year for maintenance.

Another more pricey option is to put her on land and restore the ship, which could cost up to $500 million.

Or, city leaders could opt to tow her out to sea and sink her and the tourist revenue that comes with her, about $100 million.

“I feel like they should fix it,” said Delmus Wilkerson, a tourist. “It’s a crucial part of Long Beach. Everybody comes just to see the Queen Mary or to be by here. It’s on the freeway. It’s not going anywhere.”

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