The Long Beach City Council approved up to $2.5 million in contracts related to the Queen Mary for critical infrastructure design plans and continued ship operations at its Tuesday meeting.
The move comes after the Queen Mary’s former lessee, Urban Commons LLC, surrendered its lease in bankruptcy court and turned over ownership to the City of Long Beach last week. The City has not had full ownership of the historic ship in 40 years.
“We have this very unique opportunity,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. “The Queen Mary, of course, is a historic icon. We made a commitment to take care of it and to preserve this piece of history.”
Of the $2.5 million, $500,000 will be used for a contract with Long Beach-based engineering firm Moffatt & Nichols to create design plans to address the vessel’s critical needs.
These include temporary water pumps in the lowest portion of the ship (bilge), an alarm system for water intrusion, temporary interior structural wall (bulkhead) improvements, lifeboat removal to alleviate pressure on the walls of the ship, electrical improvements and a new emergency generator.
City Manager Tom Modica estimated that these projects could be finished within six months with a goal of completion by the end of the year.
The half-a-million-dollar price tag does not include the cost to implement the design plans.
The City will also enter into a contract of up to $2 million with Evolution Hospitality, the company that has operated the Queen Mary for the past decade, for a period of six months with an optional renewal of six additional months. The company will provide security and as-needed management to maintain the ship.
“We have a fiduciary responsibility to protect the public’s money.”
–Councilmember Suzie Price
The one-time $2.5 million will be paid from the Emergency Tidelands Operating Fund. All improvement projects will be overseen by City staff.
The council is expected to discuss the long-term future of the Queen Mary, and whether to maintain ownership, in late July. City staff is expected to present funding options at that time.
“We are now in full possession of the ship and controlling its future, which is an exciting time,” Modica said. “It does come with both positives and negatives.”
A 2017 marine survey commissioned by a previous operator estimated that ship repairs in the short, medium and long-term would cost $289 million.
“We have a fiduciary duty to protect the public’s money,” Councilmember Suzie Price said. “There are many competing projects that the City is currently working on. And it’s likely most if not all of them would have to be deferred in order to meet the maintenance demands of the ship.”
Last year, the City of Long Beach faced a budget shortfall of $30 million. The budget impacts of the pandemic will be felt for years to come, Modica said at previous council meetings.
Price said the council should consider public input before making any final decision on whether to take over the ship.
“Without partners, it’s still premature,” Price said. “For now, I am hopeful that the opportunity presented from this asset as a whole, including the waterfront property, makes us a desirable site for future investments.”
The British oceanliner’s legacy began when it departed from Southampton, England to New York in 1936. It is currently listed on the National Register for Historic Places.
She suggested that City staff look into the possibility of designating the Queen Mary as a federal national monument, a title reserved for landmarks like the Statue of Liberty or Stonewall Inn.
The Queen Mary, a tourist attraction and iconic landmark of Long Beach, is also an economic generator within the city, bringing in nearly $3.3 million in tax revenue, according to a 2020 economic impact report. The Queen Mary is also the source of over 1,300 jobs and $94 million in economic output in Long Beach, the report states.
“The Queen Mary is such an integral part of our city’s identity,” Councilmember Mary Zendejas said. “And it is a great value to many of our lifelong residents.”
She said that the ship “holds a lot of wonderful memories,” having gone to her high school prom aboard the Queen Mary.
In contrast, she shared that, during her last visit to the Queen Mary last year, an elevator broke, just one symptom of the ship’s dire disrepair.
Zendejas, who uses a wheelchair, said she exited the ship through “a very different and very closed off way.”
She said, “Nobody’s going to be able to take care of the Queen Mary as much as we can.”
The next Long Beach City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 15 at 5 p.m. via teleconference.
