Escambia County commissioners are considering investing up to $3 million to sink a derelict, 1,000-foot ocean liner off Pensacola Beach, creating what would be the world’s largest artificial reef. Advocates believe the move could boost the region’s tourism economy, while skeptics worry it could be a barge too far.
Darien Schaeffer, CEO of Visit Pensacola, expressed enthusiasm for the project at a commission meeting last Thursday. "It is an exciting opportunity to build on what we already have as a very successful diving destination," he said.
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The money would be used to purchase the S.S. United States, transport it from its current dock in Philadelphia, remove fuel and pollutants, and sink it in the Gulf of Mexico.
Escambia County is already home to the U.S.S. Oriskany, the largest existing artificial reef in the world, which the county sank in 2006. That effort has been credited with helping to build the county's profile as a diving destination. However, it also failed to meet expectations. In the years since its sinking, the Oriskany has subsided into the sea floor, making most of the structure inaccessible save to the most experienced of divers and curtailing its appeal as a diving destination.
Commissioner Jeff Bergosh has championed sinking a second ship.
"I love the idea of having a wreck that size in shallower water," he said, "which would make it more accessible by the average recreational diver."
Supporters argue that the S.S. United States would act as a significant tourism driver, and there is evidence to support those claims. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates that artificial reefs contribute $3.1 billion to the state's economy annually. A 2007 study by the University of West Florida found that the U.S.S. Oriskany generated 37 jobs and a total economic impact of $2 million in its first year. Another study suggested that a second ship could generate at least $2 million more in annual economic impact.
"The great thing about this, if we invest the money to sink it, after that, there's no additional maintenance costs, no labor, no people to maintain it," Bergosh said. "It just sits there on the bottom, forever generating tourism."
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While Bergosh's fellow commissioners were generally supportive of the idea, it was not immediately clear how or if they would be able to cobble together the resources needed to secure the vessel. The $3 million investment commissioners are considering would be less than half the $8 million total that is needed, and commissioners have only until Sept. 12 to raise the money. That’s the date that the ship will be evicted from its current harbor unless a judge intervenes to grant more time.
Keith Mille of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told commissioners on Thursday that the state was willing to contribute $3 million toward the relocation effort. Private interests have donated almost half a million dollars more. Of course, that still leaves a gap of more than $4 million.
Commissioners have discussed using RESTORE Act funds to help close the gap and have also asked the Tourism Development Council, on which Bergosh sits, to consider whether tourism funds might be used.
On Thursday, Commissioner Lumon May expressed a desire to balance investments in water sports tourism with other county priorities.
"I'd love for us to be, you know, the field gap for this," he said, "but I don't want to disproportionately say that we're going to engage in just only water sports tourism when we have other opportunities."
Both May and Commissioner Steven Barry emphasized the importance of ensuring that other county projects, such as improvements to the Pensacola Bay Center and Ashton Brosnaham Park, were not negatively impacted.
Barry said he wanted to explore all options before committing any county funds to the project.
"We just encourage our folks that are very clearly excited about this endeavor to, you know, keep hammering finding other money than ours," Barry said.
