Today, for the first time in over 40 years, the City of Long Beach will regain full control of the Queen Mary.
“We will be fully engaged in the preservation of this historic landmark and are incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement.
The City last had full control over the Queen Mary in 1978, after which it was owned by the Port of Long Beach and then leased to a series of private companies who ultimately left the ship in a state of disrepair, including the most recent lessee Urban Commons Queensway LLC.
This swift action comes after the sudden decision by Urban Commons to surrender its existing leases and file a motion to formally reject the leases through the bankruptcy process, according to a statement by the City.
“The current lessee was in default of several provisions of the leases, including failure to maintain the ship caused in part by decades of deferred maintenance by former operators of the ship,” the City said.
Next Tuesday, June 8, the Long Beach City Council will consider the authorization of $500,000 in Tidelands Critical Infrastructure funds to address critical repairs, including bulkhead repairs, lifeboat removal, and the installation of an emergency generator, temporary bilge pumps, and water intrusion warning systems.
“City staff are actively identifying additional funding options, to be presented to Council at a later date, to cover these immediate repairs,” the City said in a statement, estimating a cost of at least $5 million.
Approximately $23.3 million was invested by the ship’s private operators in the last five years, compared to approximately $12.3 million in the ten-year period before, according to the City.
As part of the transaction, the City will also regain control of the surrounding properties which includes over 40 acres of parks, cruise terminals and parking lots.
“This will provide a historic opportunity for the City and its partners to reactivate and refresh these areas for public use, special events, and filming opportunities which provide important revenue-generating activities to support the Queen Mary,” the statement said.
On Tuesday, the Long Beach City Council will also consider entering into a $2 million contract with Evolution Hospitality, a third-party hospitality management company, which will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Queen Mary hotel and surrounding properties.
The proposed contract would extend for a period of six months with the option to renew for an additional six months. As part of the agreement, the City said it plans to maintain Historic Resources Advisor John Thomas, who has served the role aboard the Queen Mary for nearly a decade.
“I am excited about this once in a generation opportunity to set the course for future preservation and development of our City’s icon,” Councilwoman Cindy Allen said in a statement. “This is a chance to enhance our stewardship of the Queen Mary and I look forward to working with my colleagues to lead the upcoming discussions. We know this is a big undertaking, and we are committed to doing right by our community who hold the Queen Mary dear in their hearts.”
The Port of Long Beach, who last owned the site in 1993, is currently conducting a study of resuming ownership of the Queen Mary and surrounding properties. The Port expects to return to the City Council with a report later this summer.
According to an extensive economic impact study published in May 2020, the ship provided over 1,300 jobs, produced nearly $94 million in economic output and generated $3.3 million in tax revenue annually to pay for citywide public services.
Yeah, put the government (especially LB govt)in charge. That’ll fix everthing.