BEAUMONT, Texas — A Friday morning news release from the City of Beaumont is shedding more light on what it'll take for Beaumont to become the new home for Battleship Texas.
In July, the city said it was looking into the possibility of Battleship Texas being moved from its current location near the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic site to Beaumont.
Editor's Note: The video above is from an August 24, 2021 newscast.
Beaumont City Council members are still deciding if the city will request the battleship to be moved to Beaumont. As of November, the council has not submitted a proposal to the Battleship Texas Foundation.
If the city submits the proposal and the battleship is moved to Beaumont, the cost to moor the ship would be the responsibility of the city, according to the release.
The city said $5.275 million is the low-end cost estimate, by Lanier Engineering, to moor the ship, provide pedestrian access and provide for mechanical and electrical utilities.
The estimate does not include parking requirements, the location for ticket sales, or a gift shop.
Engineering the project would take an estimated four to six months, the city said. Additional permit approvals from government agencies such as the Corps of Engineers and the General Land Office can take years, according to the city.
Beaumont City councilmember Mike Getz told 12News previously that having the battleship docked on the Neches River in downtown Beaumont could draw many people off I-10 and into town. He believes the Neches River is the perfect place to relocate the historic Battleship Texas after it undergoes repairs.
On Thursday, the Battleship Texas Foundation announced where and who will be repairing the historic battleship.
The battleship will be repaired at Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corporation’s Galveston shipyard. The dreadnought has been docked at the San Jacinto Battleground Historic Site in La Porte since 1948.
With the help of the Battleship Texas Foundation and Valkor Energy Services, Gulf Copper recently acquired a floating drydock capable of lifting the ship out of the water for necessary and extensive hull repairs.
Battleship Texas Foundation said the new drydock acquisition was a critical milestone in Battleship Texas’s $35 million hull repair project.