Drawing shows how 418 foot long destroyer will be displayed at dock near Independence Bridge, boat launch. National Historic Landmark Designation to be Sought for Destroyer USS Edson
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A museum-ready U.S. Navy destroyer that had been displayed in New York City could draw thousands of visitors to Bay City as early as next year.
Promoters note the ship would be the largest military artifact in the Midwest and will serve as a monument to the service of all Americans that served in the U.S. Military.
Officials of the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum (SVNSM) expect that the USS Edson DD-946 could be moored at Bay City as early as Sept. 1, 2008 if all U.S. Navy approvals are received.
Buoyed by publicity and projected designation as a National Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Sites, 75,000 to 100,000 visitors would be expected to visit the city the first year. The ship is expected to generate almost $500,000 in gate receipts and an additional $110,000 in other revenue the first year.
Certec Consulting, Inc., of Lexington, Kentucky, the same firm that did a study for the proposed Maritime Heritage Center at Uptown at RiversEdge for the Bay County Convention and Visitors Bureau, did the projections for SVNSM.
An estimated 20,000 students annually are expected to benefit from educational programs on the Edson. Curriculum materials have been prepared by Ray Keech, former Bay City school superintendent, in cooperation with Saginaw Valley State University.
Total operating and support cost is estimated at $436,000, providing a net operating profit of about $175,000, according to the business plan of the SVNSM.
Meanwhile, it is unknown whether a competitive application from a Sheboygan, Wisconsin group is still in the works, although Navy policy allows other bids for the ship.
If the Bay City application, forwarded earlier in December to the NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command) office, is approved, the Navy could act as early as May 1 and Congress could act soon afterward.
The local group is counting on support in Congress from Michigan's two U.S. Senators, Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Richard J. Janke, vice president of SVNSM, noted that local financial support has been a key to the completion of the application that was submitted to NAVSEA. Recent donations included $10,000 from Bill and Marian Gregory, $25,000 from the Dow Chemical Co., and $100,000 from the Kantzler Foundation.
Also, the Bay County Growth Alliance has approved a $500,000 line of credit to SVNSM to pay the expense of towing the ship from the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The line of credit is to be repaid by pledges already in hand, Mr. Janke said.
A total of $600,000 in donations has been received, Mr. Janke said, $400,000 is in hand and a fundraising goal of $1.6 million has been established.
Cost of towing the ship is estimated at more than $500,000 and a detailed towing plan, as well as a mooring plan, business plan, curatorial plan and maintenance plan are part of the 1,615 page application.
Major operating costs include a director at $48,214 a year, curator at $39,000 a year, and maintenance/security at $31,000 a year.
Extensive in-kind donations and labor has been donated by individuals, union groups and businesses in preparation of the site and dock, he noted.###
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