After 30 years of sitting dormant and mostly unused, the SS United States on South Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront has a proposal for its long-term preservation, writes Michael Tanenbaum for Phillyvoice.

The latest proposal would see the retired ocean liner into a hotel and public destination near the Hudson River in Manhattan. 

In revealing its plans, the SS United States Conservancy announced that it would work with New York developer RXR and MCR Hotels to repurpose the ship as a hotel with 1,000 rooms. 

The hotel would serve as the anchor of a mixed-use project that includes restaurants, event venues, and green space.

“The SS United States symbolizes the nation’s ambition and innovation,” said Susan Gibbs, president of the United States Conservancy. 

The SS United States was built in the years after World War II and had a 17-year career as a transatlantic liner. It carried four U.S. presidents and a long list of notable celebrities, such as Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, Salvador Dali, and Marilyn Monroe. 

It was retired due to high operating costs and the withdrawal of U.S. government subsidies for its commercial use. 

It was sent to Philadelphia in 1996 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Read more about the SS United States in Phillyvoice. 

_____