BEAUMONT, Texas — The Battleship Texas could be on the move to Beaumont in about a year, but before that can happen there's dominoes that need to fall.
The 110-year-old ship made its journey from its longtime berth at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte to Galveston as part of a $35 million project to repair the hull and ultimately restore the ship to its former glory.
The ship’s repairs are part of the foundation’s plans to eventually resettle it in a new location in Texas in order to attract more visitors and increase revenue.
Galveston, Baytown and Beaumont have emerged as the main candidates for the battleship's new home.
But according to Beaumont City Councilman Mike Getz, there's a strong chance Beaumont gets the nod.
Getz was in Galveston Wednesday awaiting the ship's arrival.
"It would be really something to be able to walk out onto Riverfront Park and then at the far end of it see 'Oh man! The Battleship Texas!'" He said.
Getz believes Beaumont is the perfect fit.
"When you have 200,000 people going across the Purple Heart Memorial Bridge every day all you have to do is get a small percentage of that to come off the interstate and tour the Battleship and it will far exceed the numbers it had at San Jacinto," he said.
Ever since word got out a few years ago that the battleship would need a new home, Getz has worked tirelessly to make a case for Beaumont.
It would cost the city between five and six million dollars, but Getz says it's a one-of-a-kind experience.
"They have holograms where you can go into the doctor's quarters and see an image, a speaking image of the ship doctor when they were in World War II talking about the day's casualties," he said.
Getz wants to turn his vision of bringing the Battleship Texas to Beaumont into a reality.
He says a decision will be made on the ship's new home port so he's actively working with city officials to make Beaumont the clear number one.
"We'll be getting a report back from the maritime engineering firm that we hired within the next week or two and we're gonna discuss next steps on what we need to do to bring the Battleship Texas to Beaumont," he said.
The ship is owned by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department but because it is operated by the Battleship Texas Foundation, the foundation would be responsible for maintenance fees and not taxpayers, Getz previously told 12News.
Getz says they’ve been talking to the Sabine Pilots, Port of Beaumont, KCS and will talk to Army Corps of Engineers.
The city is paying $20,000 for the engineering firm to do this meanwhile Baytown, another city fighting to be the ship's permanent home, is going to have to spend $20 million to dredge a channel and maintain that channel, according to Getz.
“Beaumont is in my view the only logical place for it to be,” he said.
RELATED: Museum directors across Beaumont gather to discuss Battleship Texas' move to Neches River downtown
City leaders want the ship to be visible from the Neches River Bridge. The council previously discussed a location further north in the Neches River to avoid blocking the view from the Riverfront Park. The problem is that the city doesn't own that land.
Even if they acquired the land, the city must build the dock and make the ship accessible.
A representative with the Battleship Texas Foundation said that organizing the logistics is a slow process. If the city council approves of the move, it's projected that permit approvals could potentially take years.
An estimated grand reopening date of the ship is scheduled for late 2023, according to the Battleship Texas Foundation website.