Virginian-Pilot


DATE: Wednesday, November 19, 1997          TAG: 9711190515

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   77 lines




NAVY'S OFFER OF WISCONSIN IS FAR FROM A DONE DEAL, FRAIM SAYS "THERE MAY BE SOME DIFFICULTIES," HE SAYS.

Mayor Paul D. Fraim told fellow City Council members Tuesday that the Navy's offer to tie up the mothballed battleship Wisconsin at Nauticus is ``a long way from being a done deal.''

``There may be some difficulties with it,'' Fraim said, without elaborating.

Fraim's assessment came during the council's first formal discussion of the proposal, in which the mayor revealed that he learned of the idea several weeks ago when he was invited to lunch with Adm. J. Paul Reason, commander-in-chief of the Atlantic Fleet, and Rear Adm. R. Timothy Ziemer, commander of Norfolk Naval Base.

The idea to berth the World War II-era vessel at Nauticus was ``well-conceived on their part and had been given a lot of thought,'' the mayor said.

Fraim said the primary reason the Navy proposed moving the ship to Nauticus is that the move would provide a safe harbor and could be done at a reasonable cost.

But the admirals also wanted ``to celebrate this long tradition that the Navy and the city have had,'' Fraim said. Norfolk is home to the world's largest Navy base.

Finding the money to make the deal happen appears to be the major obstacle, according to city and Navy officials.

The Navy, which would retain ownership of the vessel, would pay to move it and prepare a berthing spot in a basin alongside Nauticus, estimated at $3 million to $5 million. The Navy would pay the ship's annual maintenance costs of $200,000 as well. Navy officials say they're searching the budget for a funding source.

The Wisconsin is berthed at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, but the Navy says it needs the dock space in the shipyard. If the deal to move the Wisconsin to Nauticus falls through, the ship probably would be towed to a Navy pier in Newport, R.I., Navy officials have said.

Since the ship is homeported in Norfolk, Fraim said, Navy officials believe that tying up at Nauticus ``in the long run could result in savings.''

Fraim said that Reason and Ziemer ``made it clear, in their opinion, that this is not an economic development issue. But the consequences of bringing the Wisconsin downtown may spur development.''

City officials hope the ship would boost attendance at Nauticus and serve as another attraction to draw tourist dollars downtown.

Fraim said the offer has ``generated a lot of enthusiasm'' across the country, including a group in Milwaukee that has offered financial support to help the Navy berth the battleship on Norfolk's waterfront.

Councilman W. Randy Wright said the Navy's offer was ``an awfully magnanimous gesture.'' He added that the ship's participation in the Persian Gulf War in 1991 would increase interest among the younger generation. The Navy would allow the public to tour the ship's deck without charge.

The only concern was voiced by Councilman Paul R. Riddick, who worried about the impact on residents of the Harbour Place condominiums across from Nauticus. Some have objected to having a battleship next door.

Riddick said he was concerned about mooring the 887-foot-long ship there ``just like we hate to see junk cars in driveways. Those persons took a chance on downtown Norfolk long before MacArthur Center mall and invested in the city. . . .''

Fraim said the ship could be positioned so that it wouldn't block views. ``It actually sits lower in the water than you'd think,'' he said.

City staffers hauled in drawings and scale models of Nauticus and an Iowa-class battleship to show council members how the Wisconsin would look there. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

A NEW HOME?

The Navy: Moving the battleship Wisconsin to Nauticus would

ensure a safe harbor and could also be done at a reasonable cost.

Residents: Some living at Harbour Place condominiums have

objected to having the huge ship next door.

What's next: The Navy is searching for a way to fund the $3

million to $5 million cost of berthing the Wisconsin. KEYWORDS: U.S.S. WISCONSIN



[home] [ETDs] [Image Base] [journals] [VA News] [VTDL] [Online Course Materials] [Publications]

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu
by CNB