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Future of Battleship Texas is in limbo

The board said they couldn't reach an agreement with the foundation on the plan to relocate the ship from a repair dock to an area near the Port of Galveston.

GALVESTON, Texas — On Tuesday the Galveston Wharves Board voted to end negotiations with the Battleship Texas Foundation.

The board said they couldn't reach an agreement with the foundation on the plan to relocate the ship from a repair dock to an area near the Port of Galveston.

Right now, the ship doesn't have a permanent home for the future. Battleship Texas released a statement that said,

"We are surprised and disappointed by the Wharves board's decision to terminate negotiations with us regarding the battleship. We will continue to pursue alternate locations that we have been actively exploring along the way. The future of the Battleship remains bright and we look forward to finding her forever home."

The warship was moved to Galveston from its home in La Porte in 2022 to undergo repairs. The City of Beaumont first announced interest in bringing the ship here in 2021, but was no longer under consideration as of March 2023. 

The biggest concern for city leaders was the cost. They previously said it would be $6 million to $24 million to build the infrastructure needed to dock the ship.

For years Beaumont City Councilman Mike Getz had been an advocate for bringing the Battleship Texas to the city. He told us today while it's too early to tell whether the city will throw it's hat back into the ring the news is exciting.

"Beaumont offers the best potential for long-term viability for the U.S.S. Texas from an economic development standpoint. I can see where you'd have the U.S.S. Texas on one end of Riverfront Park, a food truck at the other end and a restored riverfront park in between. I think that would be two book ends that would really be great for downtown Beaumont," said Getz.

Tickets to tour the ship in the coming weeks went on sale today.

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