UPDATED, 2:40 p.m., March 14: Better strap on those life vests: The Queen Mary, the vessel in Long Beach that houses a hotel, shops, and restaurants, could collapse into the lagoon where it’s docked if its disrepair isn’t addressed soon.
A recent marine survey found a host of structural issues with the ship, such a corroded hull that could result in flooding in the engine room and few watertight doors to mitigate the risk, the Long Beach Press Telegram reported.
The necessary repairs would cost between $235 million to $289 million over five years.
Long Beach officials are already discussing the findings of the report with the Queen Mary’s leaseholder, Urban Commons, but the city approved only $23 million for the ship’s more dire repairs last November. Urban Commons is in the process of acquiring more funding.
Meanwhile, the desperate condition of the ship has garnered the attention of politicians in Scotland,where the ship originated. They’ve called for an international fundraising campaign to save the ship and have even called on U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May to urge the U.S. government to step up, according to one Scottish newspaper.
Urban Commons, a native L.A.-based investment firm, pledged $15 million last year to redevelop the ship’s 346 staterooms and nine suites. Plans for developing the land around the ship are also under discussion, according to the Telegram. [LBPT] — Cathaleen Chen
Correction: An earlier version of this story mistakenly stated the ship is 200 years old. It’s about 83.