Brooklyn Developer Makes Last-Ditch Effort to Save SS United States

The S.S. United States, once a marvel of American engineering and a symbol of national pride, is at the center of a heated debate.

While plans to sink the iconic ship off the coast of Florida as part of an artificial reef project move forward, a Brooklyn-based concrete magnate is rallying support for an alternate vision—one that would see the historic vessel docked at New York’s Red Hook waterfront.

As reported first by the gothamist, John Quadrozzi Jr., owner of the Gowanus Bay Terminal, has long sought to repurpose the rusting 990-foot vessel.

With its record-breaking transatlantic speed and status as the largest ocean liner ever built in the United States, Quadrozzi envisions the S.S. United States as more than just a relic of the past.

His plan involves transforming the ship into a floating hub for sustainability, complete with coworking spaces, incubators, and maritime-focused innovations.

The Brooklyn terminal operator already has a 1,300-foot berth ready to welcome the ship.

The proposed redevelopment would be carried out incrementally, incorporating residential, commercial, and industrial spaces within the liner’s labyrinth of compartments.

These compartments have been documented in our tour of the ship back in August which you can see at the bottom of this article.

This renewed effort comes as the ship’s future hangs by a thread. A recent federal court ruling resolved a legal dispute that had stalled its journey to Okaloosa County, Florida.

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County officials intend to sink the vessel and create the world’s largest artificial reef, a move they believe will attract divers and boost tourism.

Parts of the ship, including at least one of her funnels, will then find a home as a museum to honor the ship.

For Quadrozzi and his supporters, however, this plan signals the loss of an irreplaceable piece of history. Critics of the Florida proposal doubt the ship can even survive the challenging voyage south.

They argue that preserving and repurposing the liner in New York would not only honor its legacy but also create a unique space for innovation and community use.

Supporters of the Brooklyn proposal include Dan McSweeney, co-founder of the S.S. United States Conservancy, who has pitched other ideas for the ship in New York, such as turning it into a floating affordable housing complex on the Hudson River. Meanwhile, others have floated concepts ranging from museums to casinos as potential uses for the liner.

As the countdown to its potential relocation to Florida continues, Quadrozzi is working to convince stakeholders of the merits of his plan.

Whether the S.S. United States will find new life docked in Brooklyn or meet its fate beneath the waves remains to be seen.

For now, the race to save this piece of American history is far from over.

There are a few outs that Okaloosa County could take which would bring the ship up for re-adoption plus, according to their website, they still don’t have the full $10 million needed to fund their project.

Anything is possible.
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