SOUTH BAY & GATEWAY CITIES | Development News

[saiholmes]

LA suburb's rebirth rides on electric car plant
By DAISY NGUYEN (AP)
The Associated Press
November 26, 2009

DOWNEY, Calif. — This city that once helped send men rocketing into the space now wants to help earth-bound motorists to become more fuel efficient.

Downey's City Council has approved an agreement aimed at luring Tesla Motors' electric car manufacturing plant to the former site of a NASA plant that helped develop the Apollo program and the space shuttle fleet.

"Not only will it bring money to the city, it will establish us as a leader in electric car and green technology production," Mayor Mario Guerra said of the unanimous approval Wednesday.

The city is pinning hopes that the car factory could bring $21 million in city revenues over 15 years, create about 1,200 jobs and help revitalize its reputation as Southern California's high-tech hub.

Downey, a city of 115,000, was once a vibrant center of high tech manufacturing jobs where aerospace engineers designed and built parts for America's space program. At its height, there were some 30,000 employees at the complex, but when the plant closed in 1999, the complex fell into disrepair.

Sandra Barrett, a 19-year resident of Downey, said she can recall when the NASA facility closed and thousands of people lost their jobs. The 69-year-old said a Tesla factory would "be a big boost to our city. There are so many people in need of a job here."

The city bought 160 acres of land from NASA and has been trying to redevelop it. A hospital, park, shopping center and memorial dedicated to the shuttle Columbia now occupy half of the complex. The other half became a film production facility used in the making of "Ironman," "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and at least one of the "Spiderman" films.

Industrial Realty Group owns nearly 60 acres of Downey Studios, and the city owns the remaining 20 acres.

Under a memorandum of understanding with IRG, the city agreed to waive $6.9 million in rent on those 20 acres and promised to expedite the permit process if IRG enters into a lease with Tesla.

Tom Messler, senior vice president of IRG, said his company is holding final discussions with the carmaker.

For nine months the city has aggressively courted Tesla, a Bay Area company known for its sporty all-electric Roadster and now moving toward more mainstream sedans.

In September, the council took out a half-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times featuring a photo of the members wearing "Downey (hearts) Tesla" T-shirts and holding a banner that read: "Downey Welcomes Tesla Motors. Apollo to Tesla ... the legacy continues."

The rotund mayor vowed to purchase a Tesla, even lose weight to fit into the sleek vehicle, if the carmaker comes to town.

"We're continuing to make progress," he said.

San Carlos-based Tesla has been looking for a place to build its next-generation Model S sedan, its seven-seat, $57,400 alternative to the $109,000 Roadster.

The Roadster's chassis is assembled in England and its guts — the powertrain, battery and so on — are installed at Tesla's factory in Menlo Park.

Tesla Motors Inc. initially planned to build the Model S in New Mexico but was persuaded to stay in California when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered to exempt Tesla from state sales tax on equipment it buys to build the sedan. That will save the company 7 percent to 9 percent on each part purchased.

When the Model S was unveiled to reporters in the spring, Tesla said it would bring the plant to Southern California. The company has also flirted with Long Beach, and Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes would not confirm if it has chosen a site.

In June, the company was awarded $465 million in low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Energy to help build the Model S, which is designed to travel as far as 300 miles on a three- to five-hour charge.

The car is slated to go into production by late 2011, and with a federal tax credit for battery-powered cars, the cost to buyers could be less than $50,000.

If Tesla comes to Downey, it would mark the return of auto manufacturing to Southern California for the first time since General Motors Co. closed its Van Nuys Plant in 1992.

Barrett said she isn't bothered by the incentives the city is offering to lure Tesla.

"In order to get, you have to give," Barrett said. "I'm willing to see us make a little sacrifice to get people working again."

[saiholmes]

Meet the Silver Line
New line will have frequent direct connections to downtown landmarks
By SCOTT WEBER
NBC Los Angeles
Updated 4:00 PM PST, Thu, Dec 3, 2009

Gold, purple, blue, and now silver.

The Silver Line, a new bus service connecting the San Gabriel Valley and South Bay via downtown Los Angeles, will begin operating later this month, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Thursday.

Starting Dec. 13, the Silver Line will operate between the El Monte Station and the Artesia Transit Center via the Harbor Transitway on the Harbor (110) Freeway and the El Monte Busway on the San Bernardino (10) Freeway.

It will have frequent, direct connections to downtown landmarks such as the Staples Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, L.A. Convention Center, CalState Los Angeles, and more. L.A. Live, California Science Center, USC, L.A. Coliseum, and other work, school, shopping and dining centers.

It will operate every 5 to 15 minutes during rush hour. Base cash fare is $2.45 one way, $1.15 for senior/disabled cash fare during peak times, and $0.85 cents in off-peak times.

Metro Day Passes will be honored as base fare, and Metro weekly, monthly and EZ transit passes will be accepted with an additional $1.20 charge when boarding.

The Silver Line will replace the Metro Express Bus lines 444, 446/447, 484, and 490, which will be rerouted.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/lo...-78470017.html

line map:
http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/ma...ne_carcard.pdf

schedule and detailed map:
http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bu...images/910.pdf

[saiholmes]

Green Line extension meetings on tap
-- Steve Hymon

An extension of the Green Line from its current terminus in Redondo Beach to the Torrance Transit Center is currently being studied by Metro. The project is in its draft environmental study phase and a new round of meetings begins soon to give the public a chance to catch up on the relevant issues.

The press release is after the jump — the meetings are between April 26 and May 5.

The draft environmental report is considering whether it’s best to upgrade traffic management systems in the area, extend the light rail line or not build anything (an alternative that the law requires to be studied). When the report is complete, Metro staff will make a recommendation which of the above is best and ultimately the agency’s Board of Directors will select what to do. A Green Line extension would be funded in part by the Measure R sales tax.

The Green Line extension, if built, would certainly help fill out Metro’s rail network. A passenger in Torrance could take the Green Line to the future Crenshaw Line, which will terminate at the Expo Line — meaning a trip originating in Torrance could end in Norwalk (with transfers to Metrolink), the LAX area, the Crenshaw business district or any of the places served by the Expo Line, including USC and Culver City. Metro to Hold Public Scoping Meetings for the South Bay Metro Green Line Extension Project

Metro will hold four public scoping meetings beginning Monday April 26 for the South Bay Metro Green Line Extension project. These scoping meetings are the first step in the environmental process and Metro is seeking public comments and input for extending rail service farther into the South Bay to improve mobility in southwest Los Angeles County.

Metro is currently preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (DEIS/DEIR) to identify transit improvements that would provide an alternative to the I-405 corridor by accessing the regional rail network through connections to the Metro Blue Line and the proposed Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor, currently under environmental review.

As part of the Draft EIS/EIR, Metro will assess existing conditions in the study area, further refine the project alternatives, assess their potential impacts and identify possible and reasonable mitigation measures.

Two ‘build’ alternatives are being considered in the DEIS/DEIR. The Light Rail Alterative will evaluate extending the Metro Green Line from its current terminus at the Redondo Beach Station to the proposed Torrance Regional Transit Center (RTC).

The freight track alternative will evaluate operating rail transit vehicles on the Harbor Subdivision right-of-way using upgraded rail tracks from the El Segundo/LAX area to the proposed Torrance RTC. In addition the Draft EIS/EIR will evaluate the No Build and Transportation Systems Management alternatives.

The public is encouraged to attend the public scoping meetings and provide their input. The following is a list of upcoming meetings:

• Monday, April 26, 2010 (6-8 p.m.) Nakano Theater, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance.

• Wednesday, April 28, 2010 (6-8 p.m.) North Redondo Senior Center, Perry Park, 2308 Rockefeller Lane, Redondo Beach.

• Saturday, May 1, 2010 (10 a.m. – 12n) Lawndale City Hall, 14717 Burin Avenue, Lawndale.

• Wednesday, May 5, 2010 (6-8 p.m.) Automobile Driving Museum, 610 Lairport Street, El Segundo.

The study area encompasses approximately 30 square miles and includes the cities of El Segundo, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance as well as the Del Aire and Lennox areas of unincorporated LA County.
The project is partially funded under Measure R, the half-cent sales tax approved by the voters in November 2008. Under Measure R, the project is provided $272 million in funding for the Metro Green Line Extension to the South Bay Corridor. This project is contained in the constrained element of the 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).
For information on the project and the Draft EIS/EIR process the public can call

http://thesource.metro.net/2010/04/2...etings-on-tap/

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Long Beach Press-Telegram

L.A. group gains in fight for USS Iowa battleship
By Donna Littlejohn, Staff Writer
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Posted: 11/18/2010 09:55:50 PM PST
Updated: 11/18/2010 10:08:56 PM PST

With a berth commitment in San Pedro finally in hand, members of the Pacific Battleship Center are set to submit their application for the donation of the USS Iowa before the Navy's Nov. 24 deadline.

More than 1,000 pages of text, graphs, comparison charts and backup material and letters are included in the massive document that will be sent by FedEx to the Navy on Monday, said Robert Kent, the center's president.

Nailing down a berth site was the final piece of information the group needed to formally ask the Navy for the donation of what is the nation's last World War II-era battleship available for use as a floating museum.

The ship now sits with the Navy's "ghost fleet" in Northern California's Suisun Bay. Millions of dollars will be needed to bring the vessel up to museum ship status.

Navy officials will review the applications - only two are being submitted for the Iowa - with an announcement expected by May 2011 or earlier.

In addition to the Pacific Battleship Center's application, an older and now updated bid from the Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square, a nonprofit group in Vallejo, remains on the table.

The Vallejo group in August submitted an updated application after the Navy earlier determined there was insufficient planning and funding in place.

Dissatisfied with the group's progress, the Navy reopened the bids in May, giving the Pacific Battleship Center an opportunity to also vie for the Iowa.

But Vallejo remains active in its pursuit of the historic ship, with a new fundraiser scheduled to benefit the HSMPS effort on Dec. 1 at the California State Military Museum in Sacramento.

If both Vallejo and Los Angeles submit qualifying applications, the Navy will conduct a comparison evaluation to choose the best plan.

Under the Navy's 60-year-old Ship Donation Program, 47 ships now operate as floating memorials and public education centers. Most are stacked along the East Coast, with only four on the West Coast between San Diego and Washington state. None is in Los Angeles or Long Beach.

If the Iowa is not donated, it will be destroyed.

That's a fate many would hate to see occur, particularly those veterans who have served aboard the Iowa over the course of four wars.

"We've taken the position that we'll support anybody trying to get the ship," said Gerald Gneckow of Homosassa, Fla., president of the USS Iowa Veterans Association.

But while the group remains neutral on the Vallejo and Los Angeles bids, Gneckow said it now appears that LosAngeles has the best shot at getting the ship.

Gneckow, commanding officer of the Iowa from 1984 to 1986, said the ship is a historic icon that should be preserved.

"This is one of the greatest ships of all time and it's the last one available as a memorial," he said. "It represents

50 years of history in sea power."

Veterans and history buffs will flock to the area to see the ship, Gneckow predicted, with those in the 1,500-member USS Iowa Association sure to be among them.

The association is quietly betting on the Iowa coming to Los Angeles, he said.

"We've already got our irons in the fire," Gneckow said, adding that plans for the association's 2012 reunion are just now getting under way.

The location already chosen? San Pedro.

Read More: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16654426

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Long Beach Post

Gerald Desmond Bridge Readies For Replacement Project
by Daniel DeBoom, Long Beach Post
Monday, November 22, 2010

State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and Mayor Bob Foster chat in the shadow of the Gerald Desmond Bridge earlier today.

3:40pm | Officials from the Port of Long Beach and local government held a ceremony today to celebrate the future Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement that has been approved and green-lighted.

The state California Transportation Commission approved final funding and building plans for the bridge earlier this month. Construction on the five-year project is expected to begin in 2012. It is expected to generate about 4,000 jobs per year.

“It’s a proud day for the City of Long Beach, the County and the State,” said Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster. “We acted — in time — to replace this aging bridge, and in so doing, we will build a landmark structure that will create jobs now and guarantee a stronger Port and smoother transportation network for the future.”

Port officials estimate that the bridge carries about 15% of the nation's container goods as they enter the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and are shipped out across the country. The bridge replacement will create wider lanes for normal traffic and an additional emergency lane. In recent years, concerns had grown as concrete pieces had deteriorated and a netting "diaper" had to be installed beneath the bridge.

“The new Gerald Desmond Bridge will reduce congestion, enhance safety and improve traffic flow,” said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim. “By undertaking bold projects like this one, we’re improving mobility and encouraging commerce across California.”

The bridge replacement is a $950 million project, funded by $500 million in state highway transportation funds and $300 million in Federal sources. The Port of Long Beach is pledging $114 million and Los Angeles County Metro is committing $28 million.

Read More: http://www.lbpost.com/news/deboom/10702

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Times-Herald

Chairman tapped to help Vallejo land the USS Iowa
By Sarah Rohrs / Times-Herald
Posted: 11/30/2010 01:01:09 AM PST

The former president and chief executive officer of a leading Silicon Valley technology startup firm is the latest addition to an organization aiming to bring a famed World War II battleship to Mare Island.

William Musgrave is the new chairman of Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square and its efforts to bring the USS Iowa to the former Naval shipyard.

"It's an honor to serve on this board and I think the timing is better now. We got a shot at raising the money and getting it all together," Musgrave said Monday.

Musgrave is the former leader of The Enterprise Network (TEN) of Silicon Valley, a leading accelerator for technology startups which helped launch eBay and similar companies.

He's no stranger to efforts to save the battleship, which is now part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet north of Benicia.

In the late 1990s, Musgrave served on the board for several years and worked on a campaign to bring the battleship to San Francisco.

He said he left the organization because his work with burgeoning Internet companies grew and monopolized his time.

As Musgrave joins the board of directors now, he said he would like to focus on fundraising and helping spread the word about the benefits of Mare Island.

He would also like to find a role for wounded war veterans to play in bringing the ship to Vallejo, and performing other tasks should the vessel arrive.

Promoting the Iowa's educational opportunities for legions of school children to learn about its history and science is another opportunity Musgrave would like to explore, he said.

Historic Ships Memorial is in competition with a Southern California group to secure the famed battleship which once carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Merilyn Wong, who serves as Historic Ships board president, said Musgrave brings a experience and expertise to the organization. "He's had a tremendous business and military background in a nonprofit world," she said.

Wong said her organization has raised $1 million in pledges, and should bring in at least $12 million to cover the costs of moving the ship and getting it open for public tours.

The Navy re-opened bids to allow other groups to try to acquire the USS Iowa as a floating museum. That action allowed the Pacific Battleship Center to throw its hat in the ring.

Meanwhile, activity along the Mare Island waterfront has heated up as work begins on the dismantling of old ships within the Suisun Reserve Fleet, also known as the Mothball Fleet.

Wong said there's plenty of space along the Mare Island waterfront to accommodate the ship dismantling operation and the USS Iowa.

Musgrave previously served as a career U.S. Navy officer, completing his service in 1992 as a captain in the Supply Corps.

While in the Navy, he managed large-scale business and logistics operations and was engaged in weapons system acquisition and DOD procurement reform initiatives, according to Historic Ships Memorial.

A resident of San Jose, Musgrave is currently a professor of management at Silicon Valley University.

Read More: http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_16740771

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by The Associated Press

Company is first to return spacecraft from orbit
By MARCIA DUNN
The Associated Press
December 9, 2010, 9:41AM

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

NASA took a giant leap away from the spaceflight business Wednesday as a private company launched a spacecraft into orbit and for the first time guided it safely back to Earth, a feat previously achieved only by large national governments.

The capsule built by Space Exploration Technologies Inc. splashed down into the Pacific Ocean, right on target, following a three-hour mission that should pave the way for an actual flight to the International Space Station next summer.

NASA wants to enlist private companies to handle space station supply runs as well as astronaut rides after the shuttles stop flying next year. Until then, the space agency will have to continue paying tens of millions of dollars to the Russians for every American astronaut ferried back and forth.

Prior to Wednesday's test flight, recovering a spacecraft re-entering from orbit was something achieved by only five independent nations: the United States, Russia, China, Japan and India, plus the European Space Agency, a consortium of countries.

NASA immediately offered up congratulations, as did astronauts, lawmakers, and aerospace organizations and companies.

"I'm sort of in semi-shock," said the company's CEO, Elon Musk. "It's just mind-blowingly awesome. I apologize, and I wish I was more articulate, but it's hard to be articulate when your mind's blown -- but in a very good way."

Speaking from the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., Musk said his Falcon 9 rocket and the capsule named Dragon operated better than expected.

If astronauts had been on board, "they would have had a very nice ride," Musk told reporters. "The vehicle that you saw today can easily transport people," with the addition of escape and life-support systems.

The Dragon flown Wednesday -- nearly 17 feet tall and 12 feet in diameter -- was reminiscent of the NASA capsules of old, which ended their missions with ocean splashdowns.

Designers of most next-generation spacecraft have abandoned the shuttle system, which proved extremely complicated, expensive and vulnerable to damage. Many engineers believe Apollo-style capsules will be cheaper, safer and capable of a wider variety of missions.

Wednesday's flight was only the second for this type of rocket.

Musk envisions that later models of the capsule, for crews, will be equipped for precision landings on patches of ground as small as a helipad. These would be powered touchdowns using landing gears, similar to the lunar landings. The spacecraft could refuel and then be used again, he said.

This early version of the capsule circled the world twice, then parachuted into the Pacific. It splashed down roughly 500 miles off the Mexican coast, within a few miles of the targeted area. Recovery crews were quickly on the scene, putting floats on the spacecraft.

Musk raised his arms in victory when the three red-and-white-striped parachutes deployed. He knew then "it was a done deal."

"This was done with 1,200 people," Musk noted, versus the efforts of entire countries and their supporting industries.

The spacecraft carried thousands of patches for company employees; no official payload was required for this test. A humorous payload, though, was on board. Musk promised to divulge its identity Thursday so it would not overwhelm Wednesday's headlines. An Army nanosatellite hitched a ride on the upper stage of the 158-foot rocket in a technology demonstration.

The accolades quickly mounted as the afternoon wore on.

"These new explorers are to spaceflight what Lindbergh was to commercial aviation," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

"SpaceX changes the game in spaceflight," noted the Space Frontier Foundation.

And from Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat and former space shuttle flier: "We've arrived at the dawn of new era of U.S. space exploration that should ensure America remains a leader in space exploration."

In orbit, space station commander Scott Kelly nagged NASA's Mission Control for updates. He told a reporter earlier in the day he would gladly fly on a commercial rocket "if that's the path we're proceeding on."

If, after Wednesday's success, any detractors still doubt the prospects for private spaceflight, Musk said, "I pity them ... They would be fighting on the wrong side of yesterday's war."

This was the first flight under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, as well as the first flight of an operational Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX's first flight of a Falcon 9 rocket, in June, carried a capsule mock-up that deliberately burned up on re-entry.

Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration issued its first re-entry license to SpaceX, paving the way for Wednesday's flight.

SpaceX intends to fly to the space station on its very next Dragon flight, targeted for next summer. During Wednesday's mission, the capsule replicated some of the orbital maneuvers that would be needed for a station docking.

Musk said he could be launching station crews within three years of getting the go-ahead from NASA.

The Dragon spacecraft as well as the first stage of the Falcon 9 rockets are meant to be reusable, a long-term goal intended to save money. The company notes it will take many missions, however, to achieve that.

NASA already is relying on Russia to ferry U.S. astronauts to and from the space station. It's an expensive arrangement: $26 million per person this year, rising to $51 million next year, and to $56 million in 2013.

Ideally, NASA wants multiple companies to take over the job of cargo and crew transport, which would allow the agency to focus on deep-space travel to asteroids and to Mars.

The effort has taken on increased significance since the working lifetime of the space station was extended to at least 2020.

NASA has just two shuttle missions remaining, in February and April. The space agency hopes to get funding for a third and final flight next summer, to restock the orbiting lab in case the commercial launch companies fall behind, before ending the 30-year shuttle program.

SpaceX currently has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA for 12 supply runs. Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia has a $1.9 billion contract for eight.

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said the company has poured more than $600 million into the test flight effort so far and received $278 million from NASA. She took aim at critics, some of whom don't trust companies to provide the same level of crew safety as NASA.

"I bristle a little bit at the whole concept of 'cutting corners,' " she said earlier this week. "Just because it's faster doesn't mean it's more risky."

To be clear, "there were no corners cut" in this week's rocket repairs, Shotwell noted. The Falcon should have blasted off Tuesday, but two small cracks were discovered Monday in the upper-stage rocket nozzle. A technician simply cut away the nozzle extension containing the cracks, enabling the company to launch Wednesday, a day earlier than anticipated when the damage was detected.

The quick repair work and grasp of the problem demonstrates the company's skill and agility, said Alan Lindenmoyer, NASA's commercial crew and cargo program manager at Houston's Johnson Space Center.

"Thank you for the early Christmas present," he told SpaceX officials with a smile.

Read More: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/finan.../D9K0EL7G1.htm

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by dailybreeze.com

Iowa governors back San Pedro bid for USS Iowa museum
By Donna Littlejohn Staff Writer
dailybreeze.com
Posted: 01/03/2011 07:05:08 PM PST

The USS Iowa, commissioned in 1943 for World War II, would need... (Kit Bonner USS Iowa at War)

Iowa Gov.-elect Terry Branstad has been joined by three of his predecessors - former Govs. Bob Ray, Tom Vilsack and Chet Culver - in endorsing plans to bring the state's namesake battleship to San Pedro as a permanent museum.

The U.S. Navy is reviewing two bids - the other is from Vallejo - in its effort to donate USS Iowa World War II vessel for tourist and educational uses.

"We are excited about the Pacific Battleship Center's plan to create a world-class museum and memorial to honor veterans and to educate all generations," the governors said in a Dec. 7 letter to Robert Kent, president of the nonprofit group that has proposed San Pedro as a site for the ship.

The letter is posted on the organization's website, www.pacificbattleship.com.

The Navy is expected to announce its decision early this year.

- Donna Littlejohn

Read More: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_17001207

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Times-Herald

Former Navy chief helps Vallejo's bid for the USS Iowa
Times-Herald staff report
Posted: 01/14/2011 01:08:33 AM PST

Former U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Danzig has joined efforts to bring the USS Iowa battleship to Mare Island as a floating museum.

Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square announced that Danzig will serve as honorary co-chairman of its board of directors.

Danzig served as Navy secretary from 1998 to 2001, and undersecretary between 1993 and 1997.

From 2007 through the 2008 presidential election, Danzig was a senior adviser to Barack Obama on national security issues.

He is currently chairman for Center of New American Security, a member of the Defense Policy Board and a RAND corporation director.

As Navy secretary, Danzig authorized the relocation of USS Iowa from Rhode Island to the ship's current home as part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet north of Benicia, according to the foundation.

Silicon Valley entrepreneur William Musgrave, who serves as foundation chairman, said the organization is "thrilled to have Richard Danzig on board this effort. We are grateful for his help in bringing the battleship Iowa to Northern California."

The U.S. Navy is evaluating two proposals for the battleship.

Besides the Vallejo proposal, the Navy is examining a plan that comes from the Pacific Battleship Center, which proposes to have the vessel transported to San Pedro near Los Angeles.

The Navy's aim is to donate the ship as quickly as possible, but has no deadline on when a decision will be made, officials said earlier this month.

The Navy re-opened bids to allow other groups to try to obtain the ship as a floating museum after informing the Vallejo group that it had not made enough progress.

Read More: http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_17094929

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Los Angeles Times

One last fight looms for the battleship Iowa
San Pedro wants the World War II ship on the waterfront, but so does a group from Vallejo. The U.S. Navy gets the final call.
December 28, 2010|By Steve Chawkins, Los Angeles Times

When San Pedro held its annual holiday parade a few weeks ago, the message to the Navy was unmistakable.

One of the grand marshals — although it couldn't be there in person — was the Iowa, the storied battleship that, with the Navy's blessing, could be permanently berthed on San Pedro's waterfront.

A cheering crowd gave the thumbs up to a float with a 40-foot-long billboard showing "the Big Stick," the vessel that carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to crucial meetings during World War II. Veterans marched alongside, and a 93-year-old who was among the Iowa's first sailors waved, with other aging warriors, from atop a truck loaded with hay bales. Their aim was to show support for turning the vintage ship into a San Pedro tourist attraction.

Although other Navy vessels have been transformed into floating museums — including the aircraft carrier Midway in San Diego — there are no battleships available for boarding on the West Coast. That's why Bryan Moss, a radio operator aboard the Iowa during the Korean War, thinks passing up such an opportunity would be a loss.

"This is the last available battleship anywhere," Moss said. "I think a lot of people would miss an awful lot of history."

The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously endorsed the effort and the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners, after a previous rejection, approved it in November. By May 2011, the Navy is expected to decide between San Pedro and the Bay Area city of Vallejo.

Nearly 900 feet long and 15 stories tall, the 67-year-old Iowa is one of the biggest and most powerful battleships ever built. It also is the only Navy vessel with a bathtub — a feature installed for Roosevelt when he was shuttled to the Middle East to meet with Churchill and Stalin at the Teheran Conference in 1943.

Decommissioned in 1990, the iconic ship is languishing with about 50 other old vessels in the "ghost fleet" of Suisun Bay, a few miles northeast of San Francisco. In an agreement with environmentalists concerned about pollution from some of the mothballed ships, the federal government has promised to remove them by 2017.

The Iowa's fate has been debated for years. In 2005, San Francisco's county supervisors turned down a chance to acquire it, citing opposition to the Iraq war and the military's ban on gays and lesbians serving openly. In the wake of San Francisco's rejection, Stockton mounted a bid that was ultimately scuttled.

In Vallejo, a group called the Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square wants to place the Iowa at nearby Mare Island, the site of a naval shipyard that opened before the Civil War and operated until 1996.

"It's known as one of the most historic sites on the West Coast and it's a stunning location for the Iowa," said Merylin Wong, a former banker who is the group's president. Besides, she said, the Iowa would generate more revenue in the tourist-rich Bay Area than in comparatively off-the-beaten-track San Pedro.

Vallejo filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and the Iowa could be its "economic salvation," Wong said. It would be appropriate, she added, for the Navy to offer a lifeline to a struggling former Navy town.

But last May, the Navy, expressing concerns about Wong's ability to raise funds and secure a site, reopened the bidding process, enabling the 11th-hour attempt by San Pedro's Pacific Battleship Center.

Wong said that the Navy was misled about her group's finances and that the city of Vallejo is making a Mare Island berth available for the Iowa. Her competitors say the years-long effort in Vallejo has demonstrated "a lack of progress."

"Our site is ready to go," said Robert Kent, a battleship enthusiast who founded the Southern California center after breaking away from Vallejo.

Kent, an Orange County construction project manager, said the Iowa would be perfectly placed to attract the thousands of cruise-ship passengers who embark at San Pedro. It would breathe life into the waterfront and the nearby Ports O' Call Village mall, he said.

Many San Pedro residents seem to agree. In a letter of support, a neighborhood council said the ship would "provide the wow factor" needed to upgrade the waterfront.

The Iowa would be placed at Berth 87, a dock now used about six times a year, when San Pedro's other cruise-ship docks are occupied. AECOM, a San Francisco firm that consults for the harbor district, said the ship likely would draw an average of 188,000 visitors a year.

"They'll have one of the most high-profile berths in our port," said Geraldine Knatz, the harbor district's executive director. "We're trying to build a critical mass of activity along the waterfront. The Iowa is a small piece of a much grander plan."

Still, the Iowa could have some choppy seas ahead. Although Kent said his group has received a bank's letter of intent for a loan of $12.5 million, a harbor commission staff report pointed out that the cash isn't in hand. A letter from Torrey Pines Bank indicated that approval of the loan would be contingent on the Navy's decision and other unspecified factors.

Maintaining a battleship is costly and in the Iowa's case would run $2 million to $3 million a year more than projected ticket sales, according to AECOM'S Steven Spickard. But such a shortfall, he told the board, would be "very much in the range of typical, healthy cultural attractions," which usually get the extra money in donations from foundations, governments or individuals.

Kent's group is hoping that the state of Iowa will kick in $5 million, but a fund established by the state has drawn only about $3,000. He has lined up professional fundraisers in both Iowa and California.

Cyndi Pederson, director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, said donations will probably start flowing once the Navy makes its decision. Schoolchildren touring the state Capitol always stop by a model of the Iowa, she said, adding that Iowans have a special place in their hearts for their namesake ship.

"I looked into bringing it back here," she joked, "but there was no way."

Read More: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec...owa-20101228-1

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Press-Telegram

San Pedro USS Iowa museum backers challenge need for study
Environmental review a waste of time, money, they contend.
By Donna Littlejohn, Staff Writer, Press-Telegram
Posted: 02/05/2011 09:07:24 PM PST

As the Navy continues to deliberate the fate of the USS Iowa battleship, supporters of a plan to bring the ship to San Pedro are questioning the port's assertion that a $1 million environmental study will be required for the endeavor.

Arguing that a simple addendum to the already certified waterfront study would suffice, John Miller of San Pedro said doing a separate and full report would result in an "outrageous expense" and delay.

"At a briefing in early January we were told that the Iowa project would have to analyze downstream effects which were already analyzed in Alternative Four of the waterfront project," said Miller, who serves on a port advisory committee.

Port officials and Iowa supporters have been meeting to discuss the project's specifics, which may include some flexibility on the scope of the study ultimately needed, said Port of Los Angeles spokesman Phillip Sanfield.

"It's still being discussed and we're working with the Iowa folks," Sanfield said, adding that some assessment, however, will be required for the ship's proposed location at Berths 87-90 in the space between the choreographed fountains on the north and the harbor fire boat station on the south.

"The USS Iowa project was not assessed in the waterfront plan. That space was to be a north (harbor) cut," Sanfield said. "So we're doing something completely different and we really do need to do an environmental assessment."

Robert Kent, president of the Pacific Battleship Center, the nonprofit leading the effort, said he remains positive about discussions that are ongoing with the port. Under the berthing site agreement with the port, Kent's group would pay for the cost of any environmental reports needed.

"We're just working through the process," Kent said. "Obviously we'd like not to do a full EIR (environmental impact report) if it's not required ... but we're looking at the options right now."

Miller and Richard Pavlick, chairman of the waterfront plan advisory committee, believe doing a full EIR could delay or even kill the project.

"This is no different than bringing a cruise ship in and berthing it," Pavlick said. "It's set up to have a ship in there."

"Requiring an outrageously expensive EIR behind closed doors would certainly be a way to kill (the project)," Miller said. "I'm not saying that's (the port's) motive, but you have to wonder if that's why they're requiring this."

Miller has written a letter to harbor commission President Cindy Miscikowski stating that the citizen's port environmental subcommittee believes a costly new study is not needed. His letter states that the port was given an estimate of more than $1 million to do a full EIR by one firm.

"The (Iowa) project as we understand it so far is basically to berth a ship where ships have historically been berthed and cars have been parked landside," the letter states. "Berth 87 is used intermittently for cruise ship berthing and has been used for other types of ships ... ."

The battleship, the letter goes on to say, would create fewer impacts than any of those other ships.

But Sanfield said a battleship tourist attraction would have different impacts than a cruise ship.

The port, he said, is obligated to examine impacts on traffic, parking and ship movements in the Main Channel.

"At this point we're working with the USS Iowa representatives in determining the scope of the work," Sanfield said. "But we do need to do an environmental assessment, these were not factors that were in the original waterfront plan approved in September 2009. This project did not exist then."

Meanwhile, the Navy is weighing two bids for the donation of the ship -- the other is from Vallejo -- and is expected to announce its decision by early summer.

Kent said the Navy recently requested clarification on 49 points in his group's 1,000-page application, with the answers due back by May 31.

"It's routine," Kent said of the follow-up questions. "They issued questions back to us and there's nothing that was insurmountable at all, nothing on there is a deal-breaker.

"The fact is, we're going to get this ship, there's no doubt about that in my mind," Kent said. "It's coming to L.A. and my mission right now is to get the ship here as quickly as possible

Read More: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_17306850

[saiholmes]

USS IOWA Long Term Viability Analysis
http://www.pacificbattleship.com/blo...eb_11_2011.pdf

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Newswire Today

Pacific Battleship Center Preparing Berth 87 for USS IOWA
NewswireToday - /newswire/ - San Pedro, CA, United States, 03/17/2011 -

Nonprofit organization is moving forward with its development activities in advance of a Navy decision.

The Pacific Battleship Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the battleship USS IOWA to the port of Los Angeles, announced its commitment to move forward with its development efforts in advance of the Navy’s decision to award the ship.

“We’re confident in the strength of our application, ” said Robert Kent, the organization’s president. “We have the team; we have the local support; and we have the location. While our competitors to the north are desperately trying to find their berth, we are actively developing ours.”

Heading up the Pacific Battleship’s development team is Lucien Runge, principle at R2A Architecture of Costa Mesa, CA. “We’ve been working with the Port of Los Angeles, have completed the site analysis, and have moved onto design development.”

Design development activities include things such as mooring plans, fendering, passing-vessel analysis, utilities, and ingress/egress. When asked what types of improvements are required to transform Berth 87 into a home for a WWII battleship, Runge said, “These are minor improvements. The site already has a parking lot, a structurally-sound pier and most of the utilities at the berth. But more importantly, the site does not require dredging.”

R2A Architecture is one four organizations working on the effort. Their consulting engineering and design consultants also include: OMB Electrical Engineers (Electrical Engineering and lighting design), KNA Consulting Engineers (Structural Engineering), and G&G Civil Engineers, Inc (Civil engineering).

Although the Navy is not expected to make a decision on the fate of the USS IOWA until sometime after May 31st, the organization’s goal is to use this interim time to prepare for a Los Angeles-based decision.

“If the Navy awards the ship to the Pacific Battleship Center, we want to make sure that we can tow her immediately into her final home, ” said Runge.

Once the ship arrives, The Pacific Battleship Center expects it to take one-year to create exhibits, ship tours, and open her to the public.

About the Pacific Battleship Center

The Pacific Battleship Center (http://pacificbattleship.com/) is the Los Angeles-based nonprofit 501©3 organization dedicated to saving the last available battleship in the world, USS IOWA (BB-61). The organization's goal is to bring USS IOWA to North America’s busiest seaport, placing her at Berth 87 which is located immediately adjacent to the World Cruise Center, home of many cruise companies including Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Once here, the organization has detailed plans to develop an interactive experience that honors the historic contributions of USS IOWA and her crews. The history and technology of an American battleship creates a solid foundation by which to build education programs upon, teaching lessons in history, mathematics, physics, leadership, team-building, character development, and community service.

Read More: http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/87361/

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Newswire Today

Pacific Battleship Center Preparing Berth 87 for USS IOWA
NewswireToday - /newswire/ - San Pedro, CA, United States, 03/17/2011 -

Nonprofit organization is moving forward with its development activities in advance of a Navy decision.

The Pacific Battleship Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the battleship USS IOWA to the port of Los Angeles, announced its commitment to move forward with its development efforts in advance of the Navy’s decision to award the ship.

“We’re confident in the strength of our application, ” said Robert Kent, the organization’s president. “We have the team; we have the local support; and we have the location. While our competitors to the north are desperately trying to find their berth, we are actively developing ours.”

Heading up the Pacific Battleship’s development team is Lucien Runge, principle at R2A Architecture of Costa Mesa, CA. “We’ve been working with the Port of Los Angeles, have completed the site analysis, and have moved onto design development.”

Design development activities include things such as mooring plans, fendering, passing-vessel analysis, utilities, and ingress/egress. When asked what types of improvements are required to transform Berth 87 into a home for a WWII battleship, Runge said, “These are minor improvements. The site already has a parking lot, a structurally-sound pier and most of the utilities at the berth. But more importantly, the site does not require dredging.”

R2A Architecture is one four organizations working on the effort. Their consulting engineering and design consultants also include: OMB Electrical Engineers (Electrical Engineering and lighting design), KNA Consulting Engineers (Structural Engineering), and G&G Civil Engineers, Inc (Civil engineering).

Although the Navy is not expected to make a decision on the fate of the USS IOWA until sometime after May 31st, the organization’s goal is to use this interim time to prepare for a Los Angeles-based decision.

“If the Navy awards the ship to the Pacific Battleship Center, we want to make sure that we can tow her immediately into her final home, ” said Runge.

Once the ship arrives, The Pacific Battleship Center expects it to take one-year to create exhibits, ship tours, and open her to the public.

About the Pacific Battleship Center

The Pacific Battleship Center (http://pacificbattleship.com/) is the Los Angeles-based nonprofit 501©3 organization dedicated to saving the last available battleship in the world, USS IOWA (BB-61). The organization's goal is to bring USS IOWA to North America’s busiest seaport, placing her at Berth 87 which is located immediately adjacent to the World Cruise Center, home of many cruise companies including Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Once here, the organization has detailed plans to develop an interactive experience that honors the historic contributions of USS IOWA and her crews. The history and technology of an American battleship creates a solid foundation by which to build education programs upon, teaching lessons in history, mathematics, physics, leadership, team-building, character development, and community service.

Read More: http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/87361/

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by The Daily Breeze

Pending state Assembly measure calls for bringing USS Iowa to San Pedro
By Sarah Rohrs and Donna Littlejohn The Vallejo Times Herald and The Daily Breeze
Posted: 04/01/2011 03:20:34 PM PDT


A pending state resolution would urge the Navy to award the mothballed battleship USS Iowa to a San Pedro group for a museum rather than send it to Vallejo.

The resolution is nonbinding but supporters said it could help persuade the Navy that the Los Angeles area would be a better choice for the historic ship than Vallejo, which is also bidding for it.

A representative of the Vallejo group trying to bring the battleship to Mare Island, however, said Assembly Joint Resolution 8 is full of errors that could prove costly.

The joint resolution by Assembly members Warren Furutani, D-Gardena, and Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, recommends the World War II vessel be towed to the Pacific Battleship Center in San Pedro for use as a floating museum at the Port of Los Angeles.

Supporters will announce and discuss the measure at a 10 a.m. April 9 news conference and project exhibition event at Berth 87 in the Port of Los Angeles. The resolution is expected to be ready to be heard in committee during the week of April 13.

"We believe that San Pedro offers much better facilities and has a much better organization behind it to foster a good program for the USS Iowa," said Sandra Sanchez, Furutani's chief of staff. "We'd really like it in our community. It's a historic battleship and bringing it to San Pedro would be a great addition to the waterfront there."

Merilyn Wong of Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square, angling for a Mare Island waterfront site, said the resolution erroneously says the ship could be returned to the Navy.

"You cannot return the ship to the Navy in the event of a financial failure," Wong said.

Pat Dolan, director of communications at Naval Sea Systems Command, said there's no clear-cut answer to the question of whether the Navy could take a ship back after it has been awarded. She said it depends on the ship's condition.

But Robert Kent, president of the Pacific Battleship Center, said the Navy specifically requires the nonprofit group to set aside enough money to tow the ship back as part of the ship donation agreement.

"We have to have that money in reserve," Kent said.

The Navy took the USS Edson back after it served as a museum ship on the East Coast but only after it underwent substantial repairs, Dolan said.

The Navy rejected the USS Olympia after that ship also served as a history museum due to its deteriorating condition, Dolan added.

Wong said the Vallejo site is far superior and would draw more visitors to support a museum while the Southern California venture could end up being a financial failure and a costly liability to taxpayers.

Further, a feasibility report indicates the ship would struggle financially because of low attendance, Wong said.

Center representatives said the report is flawed and relies on an old study.

"We've addressed all those issues with the port to their satisfaction," Kent said, adding that business plans have been submitted to the Navy covering projected scenarios of 188,000 to 400,000 visitors a year.

"Los Angeles is one of the largest metropolitan markets in the world. The Iowa is probably going to be the most visited ship in the world," Kent said. "Our third-party marketing firm showed we'd be up around the 400,000 mark."

The Navy's aim is to donate the ship as quickly as possible, though no deadline has been given. The ship is in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet north of Benicia.

The Navy last month requested more information from both organizations, giving them a May 31 deadline to submit a "final application." An announcement is expected to come by early summer.

Lowenthal's chief of staff, Will Shuck, said that although the resolution, if passed, would be nonbinding, it would serve to express the opinion of the Legislature on the matter.

"It's a worthy effort to give people in Southern California that kind of access to this very tangible link to our nation's history," Shuck said.

"When the Navy looks at the whole package of what San Pedro offers," Sanchez said, "this will be just one more (argument in favor of the location) - that the state Legislature stands with the local community in supporting this effort."

Read More: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_17752818

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Los Angeles Times

NASA awards millions to four firms to privately develop rockets and spacecraft
Space Exploration Technologies of Hawthorne and Boeing are among the companies sharing $269.3 million as the agency looks for a new way to carry astronauts.
By W.J. Hennigan, Los Angeles Times
April 19, 2011

With NASA's fleet of aging space shuttles set for retirement at the end of the year, the space agency is looking for a new way to carry astronauts.

On Monday, NASA handed out $269.3 million to four companies to privately develop rockets and spacecraft for what could be the next step in manned spaceflight.

The winners included Hawthorne-based rocket maker Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, and Boeing Co., which develops spacecraft in Huntington Beach and uses rocket engines made by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in Canoga Park.

The other two awards were $22 million to Blue Origin, a closely held space venture in Kent, Wash., that is owned by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, and $80 million to Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nev.

After the shuttle program is mothballed and before privately built space vehicles are astronaut-ready, the U.S. will have no way to travel to the International Space Station other than shelling out $63 million for rides on a Russian Soyuz rocket.

"We're committed to safely transporting U.S. astronauts on American-made spacecraft and ending the outsourcing of this work to foreign governments," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement.

The new contracts awarded Monday "are significant milestones in NASA's plans to take advantage of American ingenuity to get to low-Earth orbit, so we can concentrate our resources on deep space exploration," he said.

The awards are part of NASA's Commercial Crew Development program, which lays the groundwork for the potentially multibillion-dollar job of ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. NASA is also providing seed money to these companies to compete and create a new private space race.

"Competition is a very important part of our strategy," Philip McAlister, NASA's acting director of commercial spaceflight development, said in a teleconference with journalists, indicating that 22 companies went after the funding.

Boeing engineers in Huntington Beach and Houston are working to develop a seven-person spaceship that is designed to fly atop a variety of rockets. The company won $92.3 million, the largest of the four awards, and expects the spacecraft to be ready by 2015.

The spaceship, dubbed the Crew Space Transportation-100, had received just $18 million in government investment thus far. Boeing's performance "is an example of how the company's innovative and experienced team is successfully partnering with NASA in a commercial environment," Boeing program manager John Elbon said in a statement.

Of the winners, SpaceX is the only company to have its contender spaceflight-proven.

In December, SpaceX became the first private company to launch a spacecraft into orbit and have it return intact. The company sent up its Apollo-like Dragon space capsule aboard its 18-story Falcon 9 rocket.

The Dragon capsule was empty at the time, but it was a technological and financial feat that had been accomplished before only by government entities.

The capsule is designed to carry seven astronauts, but SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said it still needed upgrades before an astronaut could strap in. That's where the funding will come in.

SpaceX won $75 million from NASA to develop its hardware. The funding comes on top of $298 million that NASA has already invested in the company. The space agency has also awarded the company a $1.6-billion contract to have SpaceX's Dragon deliver cargo to the space station — with trips possibly starting later this year.

Ed Mango, NASA's commercial crew program manager, said in the news teleconference that there might be more than one vehicle that will carry astronauts into space, if the market can support it. "What we're looking for is innovation."

Read More: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,3640117.story

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by USA Volleyball

Manhattan Beach Open Returns This Week
B.J. Hoeptner Evans August 22, 2011
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 22, 2011) – The Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Volleyball Series will officially make its debut at the Manhattan Beach Open, one of the most historic beach volleyball tournaments in the world, on Aug. 26-28 in California.

IMG and USA Volleyball (USAV) are producing inaugural event of the Series in conjunction with the city of Manhattan Beach in a three-day, double-elimination tournament, with live televised coverage of the finals on VERSUS. Qualifying rounds, if necessary, will be staged on Thursday, Aug. 25.

Admission to the event for spectators is FREE.

Read More: http://usavolleyball.org/news/2011/0...44301?ngb_id=2

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Daily Breeze

Members of Congress pressure Navy secretary on USS Iowa decision
By Donna Littlejohn Staff Writer
Daily Breeze
Posted: 08/29/2011 05:17:10 PM PDT

Official pressure mounted over the weekend for the U.S. Navy to expedite its announcement on donating the USS Iowa.

Expressing concerns about the timing of towing the battleship before the stormy winter months arrive, several House members have urged Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to decide quickly which suitor will be home to the icon.

Nonprofit groups in both Los Angeles and Vallejo have submitted applications that have been under review by the Navy for several months.

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, D-Iowa, mentioned in an Aug. 26 letter to Mabus that the Navy Ship Donation Office had made a formal recommendation to begin the process.

But Mabus still must sign off on the recommendation - and there is no word on what the recommendation will be.

"Something has been sent up to the secretary of the Navy," said Robert Kent, president of the Pacific Battleship Center, the Los Angeles group vying to bring the vessel to San Pedro's waterfront.

Timing is becoming crucial, Lantham wrote, because of the coming winter months and the limited opportunity for high tides.

"This unique situation demands a swift response to avoid the damaging effects of impending winter," Lantham wrote to Mabus in his letter, also signed by Iowa Reps. Leonard Boswell, Steve King, Dave Loebsack, Bruce Braley and U.S. Sens. Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin.

"If the USS Iowa cannot be moved before the winter months take hold, the battleship
Advertisement
would silt and require the labor-intensive and costly act of dredging before towing to its final resting place can commence."

Rep. Janice Hahn, D-San Pedro, also wrote a letter earlier in the week to Mabus, specifically urging that the ship be donated to her district in Los Angeles rather than Vallejo and asking for a decision "as soon as possible."

A decision could come within days, Kent said.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad recently signed off on an appropriation committing $3 million to the refurbishment of the ship, wherever it ends up. That apparently has been a key decision the Navy has been awaiting.

The ship, now sitting with the Navy's ghost fleet in the shallow Suisun Bay in Northern California, needs to be towed out of storage during a high tide, which will occur at the end of September and again at the end of October.

But the October time frame is complicated because it is the beginning of the winter storm month, Kent said.

The window is close to closing to make the preferred September deadline, he said.

Calling the ship the "Air Force One of its day" because it ferried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to and from the Tehran conference, Lantham wrote that the Iowa is a "symbol of American might" that "deserves immediate preservation to ensure it can be forever treasured by current and future generations."

The Iowa letter did not favor one location over the other, but simply urged quick action to make sure the ship is preserved.

Hahn's Aug. 18 letter to Mabus urged the Navy to choose the Port of Los Angeles site, where the ship would serve as a permanent floating museum.

"It will inspire and educate the estimated 450,000 visitors that will come to see her annually, bringing in $1 million in direct state and local tax revenues, as well as an estimated $240 million in direct and indirect economic impacts over 10 years," Hahn wrote.

"The Port of Los Angeles is prepared to immediately welcome the USS Iowa as a permanent fixture to the port and has the capacity to display the ship's wonders on a much grander scale to a vastly larger audience" than Vallejo.

Meanwhile, the port on Monday issued its formal Notice of Preparation for the required environmental study. A public meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 13 inviting comments about potential impacts the ship would have on the port and community.

Read More: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_18782131

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Daily Breeze

USS Iowa supporter tells harbor commissioners he expects favorable decision
By Donna Littlejohn Staff Writer
Daily Breeze
Posted: 09/01/2011 04:52:57 PM PDT

A supporter of moving the USS Iowa battleship to San Pedro told harbor commissioners Thursday they'd met the Navy's required benchmark fundraising goal and expect a nod from officials soon.

"It could happen any minute, I've got my cellphone ready to go," Robert Kent told commissioners after a staff presentation on the project.

Kent is president of Pacific Battleship Center, one of two nonprofit organizations - the other based in Vallejo - that have bids in to the Navy for donation of the historic vessel.

While the Iowa already received the go-ahead from the Port of Los Angeles last November, it's all contingent now on whether the Navy selects Los Angeles over Northern California.

Plans call for the ship to be docked at Berth 87 - just north of the harbor's fireboat station and south of the Vincent Thomas Bridge - along San Pedro's developing waterfront.

Kent said his group has collected $250,000 in early donations, with another $3 million to be made available from the state of Iowa and $5 million in an approved bank loan.

While he said that meets the Navy's initial benchmark for the ship donation, the group still must raise another $10 million in coming years should the ship come to the port as a floating museum.

In addition to ongoing questions about funding, commissioners expressed concerns about traffic and parking, especially in light of the tourist crunch seen this summer during Navy Week.

"It's already a reality as our events have become more successful," Commissioner David Arian said of handling the crowds.

"This is becoming a real critical question. ... We already have an overflow."

The Iowa group - which anticipates the ship will draw 350,000 to 400,000 visitors a year - has included a 300-space parking lot in its proposal. But port officials acknowledge that parking for the entire waterfront area will be a growing challenge.

The long-range solution included in the waterfront plans will be to build parking structures - one near the cruise terminal and the other near Ports O' Call Village.

Meanwhile, efforts are under way to establish shared parking plans along with making use of shuttle services and other amenities.

Dave Mathewson, director of port planning and economic development, told commissioners progress has been made on several issues over the past few months as port staff has worked with members of the Iowa group.

A public meeting is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday to go over issues posed by the ship, including traffic, parking and views, that will be addressed in an upcoming environmental impact report.

Kent told commissioners that much headway has been made by his group already on engineering, towing and utility plans. Skilled volunteers - including former shipyard workers, carpenters, electricians and others with maritime construction and repair expertise - have pledged 48,000 hours of in-kind work on the ship, Kent said.

The Navy's announcement of whether Los Angeles or Vallejo would get the ship donation was expected to come sometime this summer.

A recommendation reportedly has been made within the Navy's ship donation unit, but it still awaits a signature by the Secretary of the Navy.

Timing is crucial because the Pacific Battleship Center wants to take advantage of the next "extreme high tide" conditions (at the end of September and end of October) so the ship can be towed out of Suisun Bay during daylight hours.

Without daytime high-tide conditions, there's the danger of silt building up and costly dredging that would become necessary, Kent said.

Congressional leaders from Iowa, in addition to Rep. Janice Hahn, D-San Pedro, have asked the Navy to expedite its announcement so the ship can be towed this fall.

Read More: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_18807895

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by NBC

Los Angeles Wins USS Iowa Bid
The ship will be docked at Berth 87 in the Port of Los Angeles and is expected to draw as many as 500,000 tourists
By Scott Weber
NBC LA
| Tuesday, Sep 6, 2011 | Updated 2:35 PM PDT

The last surviving battleship in the world without a home has been awarded to Los Angeles.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the United States Navy has donated the World War II Battleship USS Iowa to the Pacific Battleship Center, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit on course to turn the ship into a permanent museum and memorial at the Port of Los Angeles.

"Were all thrilled, it's been a year-and-a-half of hard work," said Robert Kent, the Center's President. "It will be unlike any museum ship in the world."

The ship will be docked at Berth 87 in the Port of Los Angeles and is expected to draw as many as 450,000 tourists each year. Local officials believe the Iowa will kick start a revitalization of the area and its attractions.

"Los Angeles is absolutely the right place for this historic battleship, and we are going to take great care of her,'' said Rep. Janice Hahn, whose district includes the port.

Hahn said she worked hard to secure the ship, which she said will generate $250 million of economic activity for the San Pedro economy over the next decade.

"We love the Navy in San Pedro, and we cannot wait to welcome the U.S.S. Iowa to her final home,'' she added.

The Battleship Center raised about $9 million to move and restore the ship, including $3 million from the state of Iowa. The group took out another $5 million in loans and raised the rest through donations and pro bono work.

The Iowa, once dubbed the "Big Stick," is about the length of three football fields, and is the last surviving battleship in the world that has either not been scrapped or turned into a museum.

Kent said the ship will go through an exterior renovation in San Francisco where it's currently mothballed, then be towed to San Pedro where its interior will be converted to a museum.

Plans call for the ship to be opened up in phases.

"Every part of the ship of interest" will eventually be open to the public, Kent said, including the command center, top decks, powder magazine rooms, and the historic wardroom that carried President Franklin Roosevelt across the Atlantic for meetings with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Formal transfer of the ship's ownership will occur after completion of various environmental and historical requirements, the Navy said.

The ship will be towed to Los Angeles sometime between December and January and could be open to the public by the summer of 2012.


Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA // Facebook: NBCLA

Read More: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/129328813.html