Okaloosa County close to acquiring world's largest artificial reef in SS United States

Published: Aug 31, 2024 Duration: 00:03:07 Category: Entertainment

Tags : news florida destin Fort Walton

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LOOKING TO SECURE WHAT WOULD BECOME THE LARGEST ARTIFICIAL REEF IN THE WORLD. THE COUNTY RECENTLY SIGNED AN AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE THE HISTORIC SS UNITED STATES. THE SHIP WAS LAUNCHED IN 1952 AND IS CURRENTLY FACING LEGAL CHALLENGES. IT WAS IN MID JUNE. A FEDERAL JUDGE RULED IT MUST VACATE ITS HOME IN PHILADELPHIA WITHIN 90 DAYS. NOW COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THE REEFS ARE A MAJOR ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR THE AREA, BUT THEY'VE GOT TO ACT FAST. TANNER STEWART JOINS US IN THE STUDIO AND SAYS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SEAL THAT DEAL? >>SO THE BIDDING PROCESS FOR RETIRED VESSELS IS EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE, ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY OFFICIALS I SPOKE WITH TODAY AND THIS LATEST PROPOSAL IN OKALOOSA COUNTY IS NO DIFFERENT UNTIL LAST NIGHT. THE DEAL IS ALSO BEING DISCUSSED RIGHT HERE IN ESCAMBIA COUNTY. NEXT WEEK, THE OKALOOSA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL DISCUSS A $9 MILLION PROPOSAL TO SINK THE SS UNITED STATES BETWEEN DESTIN AND FORT WALTON BEACH, CREATING THE WORLD'S LARGEST ARTIFICIAL REEF. IT'S 102FT LONGER THAN THE CURRENT RECORD HOLDER, THE ORISKANY OFF SHORE IN PENSACOLA. DIVE ENTHUSIASTS IN FORT WALTON BEACH SAY NORTHWEST FLORIDA IS FULL OF ARTIFICIAL REEFS, BUT DIVING TO A PASSENGER LINER LIKE THIS SETS THE EXPERIENCE APART. >>WHEN THE BOATS COME IN, I'LL PROBABLY COME OUT HERE TO DIVE SCUBA. FORT WALTON BEACH, AND I'LL BE ON THE NEXT CHARTER OUT THERE. >>GARY WYATT HAS OWNED FORT WALTON BEACH SCUBA FOR MORE THAN SIX YEARS. WYATT TELLS US THERE'S A NUMBER OF ARTIFICIAL REEFS OFF THE DESTIN-FORT WALTON BEACH COAST, ADDING THIS SHIP TO THE LIST CREATES SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. >>I AM SUPER EXCITED FOR IT. IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT FOR THE ECONOMY. IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT FOR OUR AREA IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER WRECK THAT WE CAN GO ON AND ACTUALLY DO WRECK PENETRATION DIVES. IT'S GOING TO BE AMAZING. >>WHILE OKALOOSA COUNTY APPEARS EAGER TO SEAL THE DEAL, ESCAMBIA COUNTY OFFICIALS ALSO DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF SINKING THE VESSEL OFF PENSACOLA. LAST MONTH, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HEARD THE PROPOSAL AND EARLIER THIS WEEK WAS BROUGHT TO THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IN COMMISSIONER JEFF BERGOSH WORDS, THE COUNTY DIDN'T ACT FAST ENOUGH TO SECURE THE DEAL THAT'S EXPECTED TO RAKE IN 3 TO $6 MILLION ANNUALLY. >>THESE KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT, AND I THINK YOU KNOW, THIS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING VERY BENEFICIAL TO OUR TOURIST ECONOMY HERE IN ESCAMBIA COUNTY HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO LAND IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A LOT MORE, TDC FUNDS OVER IN OKALOOSA. THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST A DIFFERENT SETUP OVER THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE A LITTLE LATE TO THE GAME, UNFORTUNATELY. I WOULD HOPE GOING FORWARD THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY WOULD LOOK AT ISSUES AND THINGS LIKE THIS AND, AND REALLY TAKE THE LONG VIEW AND SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO MAKE A FAST DECISION. >>DIVE EXPERTS LIKE GARY WYATT SAY THE ORISKANY OFF PENSACOLA IS A DREAM FOR DIVERS WORLDWIDE, THOUGH HE TELLS ME THE SS UNITED STATES WOULD BRING A COMPETITIVE EDGE TO OKALOOSA COUNTY THAT WYATT SAYS WILL ONLY INCREASE DIVING INTEREST ACROSS THE PANHANDLE. >>THE ORISKANY AND PENSACOLA IS AN AMAZING DIVE, THIS ONE'S GOING TO BE EVEN BETTER. >>THERE'S STILL SOME RED TAPE TO GO THROUGH. THE COUNTY TELLS US THE SIGNED CONTRACT STILL NEEDS TO BE APPROVED BY THE BOARD AND CONTINGENT ON THIRD PARTY AGREEMENTS. COMMISSIONERS WILL DISCUSS THIS PROJECT ON TUESDAY. IN THE STUDIO, I'M TANNER STEWART

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