I know a lot of CruiseTalkers have questions about the cost and viability of these plans and as part of the article I would like to get as many of these questions answered.

What specific questions do would you like to get answers to related to the future of the SSUS? Please post questions in this thread.

Thanks,

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

quote:

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Originally posted by BMWM5:
Joe,
If you have not heard already, the Conservancy has till the end of this month. If they cannot find a organization willing to take on a conversion, their hands will be forced to sell the ship to a scrapper.

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

BMWM5

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I understand that things are dire but I think one of the things they need to do is share their plans in more detail in order to garner more support.

To date there have been very few details about how the ship might be used as a shore-side venue. I think potential locations and more detailed cost estimates would make people more comfortable about donating to the project.

Media Advisory: Short on Time, Famed SS United States Makes Final Push to Return Home to New York

quote:

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:

I understand that things are dire but I think one of the things they need to do is share their plans in more detail in order to garner more support.

To date there have been very few details about how the ship might be used as a shore-side venue. I think potential locations and more detailed cost estimates would make people more comfortable about donating to the project.

My understanding is that they have several proposals currently under consideration and I think they would be more effective in raising money if they could share at least some of the details with potential supporters.

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Joe:

The answer is that the Conservancy is willing to consider all proposals from developers or partners and did not have a set in stone plane for reuse. They were depending on the partner to set the plan.

They have some general plans on how to locate a museum within the ship and then they have information about the available square footage as well as possible ideas on how to reuse the different spaces. They were proposing a hotel in the hull and some areas set aside as meeting or exhibit space but that is about how detailed as the plans got.

As for locations the push ultimately was focused on New York but they had said publicly they looked at Philadelphia and the area around there as well as Miami. They would consider a developer with an alternate site but their hopes/dreams were always on NYC. Even within NYC the exploration included various spaces in Manhattan or elsewhere.

Costs varied on the specific plan but they have ballpark figures for moving the ship, drydocking her for external restoration, and estimates about the internal work. A total restoration would run into the hundreds of millions of US Dollars.

It is not like they have a specific completed plan in front of them that they have to say yes or no to. They have concepts from potential partners which need to be developed and in the case of New York City require all sorts of entities to sign off on the plan for it to go forward.

The challenge is the lack of funding to keep the status quo going until the partner's plan could be approved or until the partner was willing to take over the monthly carrying costs.

There have been a lot of spurious reports that the Conservancy was standing in the way of the redevelopment because they would not relinquish title to the ship. That is totally false. The plan only insisted on a space for a museum/design center and if a partner was able to show that they had a workable, approved and financed plan the Conservancy was willing to deed the ship into that plan. But until they the Conservancy needs to hold the title because the ship is a significant and valuable asset.

quote:

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Originally posted by SSTRAVELER:

Joe:

The answer is that the Conservancy is willing to consider all proposals from developers or partners and did not have a set in stone plane for reuse. They were depending on the partner to set the plan.

They have some general plans on how to locate a museum within the ship and then they have information about the available square footage as well as possible ideas on how to reuse the different spaces. They were proposing a hotel in the hull and some areas set aside as meeting or exhibit space but that is about how detailed as the plans got....

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I have heard that they have progressed to the point where there are at least two detailed proposals from developers.

If that's the case I think they could increase the potential base of contributors needed to keep things going by providing answers to the following types of questions:

- Where specifically are you considering relocating the ship for further development? There must be existing locations identified each with its own set of attributes.

- How much is the overall project estimated to cost and what are the costs of the individual phases?

- How long is the project expected to take once financing has been secured? A timeline for each phase would be helpful.

- How is the 650,000 sq feet of space expected to be utilized? What is the breakdown between hotel, meeting, shopping, restaurant?

I am sure there are lots of other questions and the answers to these today are clearly just estimates, but I think providing this level of detail would go a long way from taking this from wishful thinking to an executable plan.

I am not going to comment about the Board because first off I am not associated with the Conservancy and only a supported of the idea of repurposing the ship and not losing her. I do not know the Board nor would I dare to speak to their credentials. I would say that the core team has worked very hard to try and make something happen and we all knew from the beginning it was an uphill battle.

As for your comment about replacing the board that's like running to the bridge of the Titanic at midnight and suggesting to Captain Smith maybe he should replace his helmsman or double his lookouts!

I know the Conservancy board did involve a number of major consultants during their efforts including experts in fund raising and another in development. You will recall at the Consultant's recommendation they ran an RFP process early on after they took over the ship.

People somehow think Donald Trump was the magical answer. Besides the fact that the Trump people turned down approaches, you might notice Trump has not been doing to well himself. The hotel that still has his name in Atlantic City is closing ... his Manhattan Soho tower is about to go into receivership .....

Real estate is not an easy business in the best of times and finding someone with the access to the hundred of million of dollars needed as well as the difficulties in securing a pier and all the shore support that will be needed is no easy task.

September 30th Ship Status and Steps Away
From a Key Goal

As previously reported, today was a key deadline for the SS United States. While negotiations are ongoing, we can report that today's developments were encouraging, and we'll be releasing further information in the days to come.

quote:

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Originally posted by SSTRAVELER:
People somehow think Donald Trump was the magical answer. Besides the fact that the Trump people turned down approaches, you might notice Trump has not been doing to well himself. The hotel that still has his name in Atlantic City is closing ... his Manhattan Soho tower is about to go into receivership

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Just to clarify, the Donald has nothing to do with the casinos that have his name on the side, he hasn't for a long time, he now simply licenses his name and is in fact suing to have it removed, the company never really recovered from Stephen Hyde being killed in a helicopter crash.

Supporters Shatter $100,000 Matching-Donation Goal

In June, cruise industry executive Jim Pollin pledged to match up to $100,000 of new supporter donations to benefit the SS United States. Last week, the Conservancy announced that we were only $2,072 away from that $100,000 goal. Just one week later, we are thrilled to announce that we have received $122,167 in donations eligible for matching -- prompting Jim to raise his initial pledge by $20,000, and match $120,000!

"Our nation's flagship isn't just an historic vessel," Jim Pollin said recently. "It also represents the people of a great and determined nation that once again have demonstrated they can rise to any challenge. In response to the generosity of so many supporters of the SS United States, I am proud to match their recent contributions with an additional donation of $120,000 to save this enduring symbol of our country."

Campaign supporters hailed from 44 states and 17 countries, and their contributions ranged from one dollar to ten thousand. Every donation made a major difference, and we are profoundly grateful to Jim Pollin and to everyone who contributed. The ship would not be afloat today without this extraordinary collective effort.

Meanwhile, as we reported last week, negotiations continue to move forward in support of the ship's redevelopment. Unfortunately, we are not yet in a position to release further details, but we remain optimistic that the remaining challenges associated with the ship's restoration and reuse can be successfully resolved.

Today we celebrate the extraordinary results of our Pollin challenge grant campaign, but the ship has not yet reached safe harbor, and our continued fundraising efforts are absolutely crucial. Donations of any amount can be made HERE.