Thanks to a last-minute call to S.O.S., that ginormous vessel you gape at every time you hit up IKEA in South Philly isn't headed to the dump—yet. After the S.S. United States Conservancy preservationist group had to seek out bids from scrappers last month, donations poured in from around the world to save the ship, according to an article in the New York Times. The conservancy group, which bought the ocean liner in 2011 for $3 million, says it has received a total of $600,000. That includes a $250,000 donation from an anonymous donor and, because it's adorable, $5 and a drawing of the ship from an 11-year-old in Florida.
That $600,000 buys the boat about 10 more months of time to figure out the future of the fastest ocean liner in the world—monthly docking, insurance, and caretaker costs total about $60,000. More from the article:
But the recent crisis accelerated the redevelopment plans […] including the prospect of bringing the ship back to New York as part of a waterfront real estate development. The conservancy is working with developers after identifying two sites in New York that could accommodate the ship. […] Over the years, the conservancy has met with developers and investors in New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and Port Canaveral in Florida, looking for ways to convert the ship into a stationary, mixed-use real estate project and museum complex with hotels, restaurants or other amenities. ·Donations help the S.S. United States fend off the scrapyard [NYT]
·Historic ocean liner could be Red Hook attraction [Curbed NY]
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