All Dressed Up and nowhere to go

[PLB]

Seems that Galveston has decided they don't want to host the battleship Texas after all. I'm not sure what this is all about but I know there was a pier side restaurant complaining that it would block their "view" from the restaurant.
Their "view" being the Galveston ship channel and all the oil derricks parked at Gulf Copper that are under repairs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3LEuDiLyuE

Corpus Christi might be better anyway.

Paul

[James1978]

New Berth for Museum Ship USS Texas Under Debate
By John Grady
November 5, 2024

The last World War I-era American dreadnought USS Texas (BB-35) will remain in the Port of Galveston as a museum ship, but exactly where is the subject of a new set of negotiations between the trustees of that city’s wharves and the non-profit foundation that leases the battleship.

At a special meeting on Monday, the Board of Trustees of the Galveston Wharves approved the appointment of a three-member panel to “meet as necessary” with the Battleship Texas Foundation to reach a possible agreement for the ship to remain in the city.

The foundation “looks forward to continuing negotiations with the Galveston Wharves Board, as decided during this morning’s special session of the board,” according to a Facebook posting. “We’re grateful for their efforts to clarify their position and the challenges in our negotiations, and are excited to work alongside them in the next steps.”

Attempts by USNI News to reach the foundation by email and telephone for further comment went unanswered.

At the moment, USS Texas, (BB-35), laid down in1912 at Newport News Shipbuilding with service in both world wars, remains pierside at Gulf Copper’s shipyard on nearby Pelican Island. The battleship was towed to the facility in 2022 for a multi-million dollar rebuild of its steel hull. The restorative work is expected to be finished sometime in 2025.

A year ago, the battleship foundation told news outlets that the “restoration project involves transforming the ship into a state-of-the-art visitor experience featuring interactive and technology-driven exhibits, augmented reality, holograms, guided tours, and integrations with cell phones. The ship will also be climate-controlled for year-round access.”

Victor Pierson, the trustees’ board chairman, described earlier talks, which broke down in October, about the battleship’s future in Galveston as water torture. “Drip, drip, drip, we didn’t make much progress,” he said.

Galveston Mayor Craig Brown, who is also a trustee and was named to the ad-hoc committee to resolve the issue, added: “the foundation is running out of time” to settle the issue.

The city, other stakeholders such as a pier operator and restaurant, and the foundation, need “to move this forward as expeditiously as possible.”

Rodger Rees, the port director, told Chron online news service last week that the length of the proposed lease with the port was a main sticking point. Concerned about the foundation’s long-term financial stability, trustees pushed for a 10-year lease with an option to renew. The foundation favored a term closer to 40 or 50 years.

On the first proposal to re-open the negotiations, Trustee James Yarborough said the foundation “needs to pony up [for consultants] and work shoulder-to-shoulder with our staff,” referring to the port director and legal counsel.

He added that there are five locations in the trustees’ port area that could berth Texas. “To me, we haven’t done due diligence with any of the options,” Yarborough said.

The battleship, which is owned by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with the foundation holding a 99-year lease to operate it as a museum ship, “could be [placed] anywhere on port property,” Pierson said.

The lease between the state and the foundation was signed in 2019.

About 1.7 million passengers will pass through Galveston’s port this year. That number is projected to grow to 2 million in the next two years, the trustees’ finance staff reported. At the same time, voters approved a $155 million bond issue to improve the port. The port has already started expanding its cargo-handling capacity.

Derrick Guiterrez, the director of operations for Katie’s Seafood Restaurant, said he wants to “keep the battleship in Galveston,” but the trustees have to understand that the berthing location would have a direct impact on businesses like his. Katie’s Seafood Restaurant is on one of the possible berthing spots.

Guiterrez was one of three members of the public to speak at the meeting. He objected to using the site near his restaurant because it would close off water views for his customers. He said that as a result of the restaurant’s objections, social media reviews for Katie’s have turned overwhelmingly negative and a number of them are racist.

“That has to stop,” Pierson said about the racist comments.

Before the ship can be moved from Pelican Island, officials will need to obtain the necessary permits from the Army Corps of Engineers and other state and local agencies.

Declared a national historical landmark in the late 1970s, Texas operated in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific during World War II.

In the ship’s service account, the Naval History and Heritage Command said “a change in mission [from escort duty] took place in October and November 1942, when she provided heavy gunfire support during the invasion of North Africa. In April 1944 she began preparations for the Normandy landings, which began on 6 June 1944, with Texas‘ 14-inch and 5-inch guns firing on German positions ashore for several days. Her heavy guns were again active in August, this time in the Mediterranean Sea in support of landings in Southern France.

“Texas went to the Pacific, arriving in the war zone in time to take part in the February 1945 Iwo Jima invasion. From late March to late May, she operated off Okinawa, firing her guns against Japanese positions and helping to fight off suicide plane attacks.”

[PLB]

I've only been to Galveston once, so not that familiar with the surrounding area. Maybe somewhere down around Moody Gardens would be good. It's not too far from the piers and there are several attractions and a couple of hotels there.
Paul

[jemhouston]

They would have to build a pier and support infrastructure at Moody Gardens. Seawolf park might be an option, but that one is off the normal tourist beat.

Another idea would be near the OCEAN STAR MUSEUM. It's near the cruise ship terminals.

[James1978]

Battleship Texas has new permanent home in Galveston
4 March 2025

GALVESTON, Texas — It’s official. Battleship Texas has a new permanent home.

The Galveston Wharves Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to move the Battleship Texas to Pier 15, which is near the cruise terminals. They didn’t give a timetable of when the ship would make its move there, though.

Battleship Texas’ former home was at the Battleground State Historic Site, but the vessel needed a massive restoration that took more than two years to complete. That work to get the ship in ship shape took place in Galveston and now that’s where the ship will stay.

“After years of hard work and dedication, we're thrilled to have the support of the Wharves Board to bring TEXAS to Pier 15 in Galveston- just a short walk from Pier 21 and the historic Galveston Strand,” the Battleship Texas Foundation posted on social media Tuesday. “TEXAS, the last ship of its kind, will promote tourism, educate future generations, and create a visitor experience worthy of her crew and legacy.”

History of Battleship Texas


The Battleship Texas was one of around 6,900 vessels involved in the D-Day Invasion. It’s the last surviving battleship that saw action at Normandy.

"This ship had a tremendous impact on the success of the allies on D-Day, particularly at Omaha beach,” said Travis Davis, VP of ship operations for the Battleship Texas Foundation in a story we did last year. "So, on June 6, 1944, this ship fired the most shells that she fired in a single day."

"The ship provided fire support for the Army going ashore, but also served as a floating hospital,” Davis said.

The foundation's website features photos of men manning some of the guns on D-Day while officers kept tabs on the action from the bridge high above. Originally built for a crew of about 1,000, 1,800 sailors were aboard the ship on D-Day.

The captain's quarters include a map mural.

"Which we think was put on in the fall of '44," Davis said.

The mural features Normandy, France, along with other noteworthy sites from the ship’s service in two World Wars.

"This is the only place without going to these far battlefields in Europe or in the Pacific where you can come and touch history," Davis said. "Where the war was changed and touched a changemaker.”

The Battleship Texas Foundation partnered with the Commemorative Air Force to fly collectible items from the ship over Normandy.

Galveston wharves board votes to berth Battleship Texas at Pier 15
By Chris Gray, Gulf Coast Reporter - Houston Chronicle
March 4, 2025

Ending years of sometimes contentious deliberations, the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees agreed Tuesday afternoon to berth the Battleship Texas at Pier 15, securing a long-term home for the historic warship and adding an important new element to its growing suite of attractions.

After returning from executive session around 3:45 p.m., the board voted unanimously to act on the recommendation of the ad hoc subcommittee created in November to hammer out an agreement with the Battleship Texas Foundation, the nonprofit that has operated the USS Texas since 2020.

Wharves board vice president Jeff Patterson, a member of the battleship subcommittee, thanked the numerous organizations that supplied input during the process, including Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (the ship's nominal owners), U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Galveston-Texas City Pilots. He also thanked the public, which has seldom been shy about sharing its opinion on the ship's ultimate destination.

The main consideration for the ship's location was safety within the Galveston Ship Channel, "which was really the driving force," Patterson said. He added that Pier 15, adjacent to the port's fourth cruise terminal set to be completed in November, was unlikely to interfere with its future expansion plans.

"I would also like to say to the public that there's no port funds being used to move the Battleship Texas here," Patterson said. "That's financed by the State of Texas and the Battleship Texas Foundation, but we're pleased to offer that location subject to the board's approval."

"The Battleship Texas Foundation is pleased to have unanimous support and endorsement of the Wharves Board for locating the USS Texas at Pier 15—just a short walk from Pier 21 and the historic Galveston Strand," foundation CEO Tony Gregory said. "The Battleship is a wonderful asset for Galveston, and we look forward to creating a magnificent experience for all Texans to enjoy."

Earlier, Gregory thanked the board for creating the battleship subcommittee last November. He expressed optimism that the latest draft of the operating agreement was "very close" to resolving the outstanding issues between the port and the foundation.

"In one of our meetings, Richard [trustee Moore] asked me if the Coast Guard was happy and I said, 'The Coast Guard is never happy,'" Brown told the board. "I would say, the sooner we can get the battleship to the safety of Pier 15, the happier the Coast Guard will be."

Commissioned into the U.S. Navy on March 12, 1914, the battleship has been undergoing a lengthy restoration at the Gulf Copper Shipyard on Pelican Island since it was towed from the San Jacinto Monument in August 2022. As part of the 2019 legislation that set aside an initial $35 million for the repairs—a number that has since grown by $40 million, through state funds and private donations—control of the ship transferred to the newly created foundation from Texas Parks and Wildlife.

On its website, the foundation says the battleship is targeting "late 2025" to reopen to the public. Port of Galveston port director and CEO Rodger Rees told Chron last month that several additional steps are still necessary before the ship can move to its new home, including finalizing the foundation's contract, marine and traffic analysis, environmental permitting, and a dredging plan.

Still, at least it has a home now.

Even earlier in the meeting (it was a long one), the board tipped its hand when Mark Ittel of Bermello, Ajamil & Partners, the engineering firm currently updating the port's long-term master plan, gave a kickoff presentation that previewed the plan's major points. The USS Texas came up several times, almost as a foregone conclusion.