After millions of dollars in repair, reportAnd dramatic around a company that doesn’t know what to do with it, the iconic Queen Mary ship is finally reopening to the public next month. But as Report by Long Beach Postreopening will come at a cost.
In case you lost it:
While the ship is technically due to open on May 12, that will only be for hotel guests who are on board. A full reopening will happen in June with weekend brunch starting again next month. And while the reopening will see the addition of a new bar and two new restaurants to the ship, repair work will be done. To get it done, the city of Long Beach went to the Port of Long Beach for help.
The city and port have come one agreement That seems to benefit both sides. The port gained control of 14 acres around the ship in exchange for giving the city $12 million to reopen the ship. Although the city says it will release details on how it will spend $12 million later this year, it is receiving a $7 million advance from that money, presumably for its long list of projects. Repair work is still needed. The city estimates that it will use $12 million over three years, but the port won’t see the money repaid for more than a decade.
But in the end it looks like Long Beach is entirely behind keeping the ship profitable this time around. While some residents are calling for the city to get rid of Queen Mary, report found that it would take too much time and money to do it. But this time, the city hopes that the ship will generate enough revenue to turn a profit.
“We will help develop tourism and hospitality. We will be looking for things on board that generate revenue so we can use the revenue to generate more revenue that can be reinvested in the ship.” speak a city council member.
