JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In the closest step to becoming a reality, the USS Adams could soon be on its way to Jacksonville. The group working to bring the retired Navy ship to Jacksonville is getting some much needed help from the city of Brotherly Love.
The guided missile destroy will be dry docked in Philadelphia to have needed work done before becoming a museum on the St Johns River.
At this point, nothing is set in stone, but the hope is they will be able to get the dry dock space in May. If that happens, the ship could be in the River City and open by the end of June.
It's an attraction that has been in the works for about seven years. Currently, the USS Adams is sitting in the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. Soon though, that could change.
“If we move the ship into dry dock, the ship is coming. We are not going to pull the trigger and move the ship until we know that it is coming,” said Joe Snowberger, CEO of the USS Adams Project.
Right now, that is as close to happening as it has ever been. The group working to bring the ship here is working with the Navy, as well as other groups helping fund the project, to make all of this happen, hopefully by the end of summer.
“This is a game changer for downtown. It's one more piece of all the cool things that are happening downtown. The ship is going to where it's going to go at the shipyards property, for all intents and purposes, connects downtown between the business center and the entertainment and sports complex,” said Snowberger.
Channel 4's Joy Purdy traveled to Philly in 201 giving us a firsthand look at what the warship museum would have to offer. Since then, the ship has secured a home along the St. Johns River.
The group behind the project is now waiting for the city to decide which shipyards development project it will select. The group has had conversations with each of the bidders about how the Adams can be incorporated into their project.
“Visit Jacksonville, Visit Florida, and ourselves take telephone calls weekly from military reunion groups, calling, waiting to schedule their reunions and come to Jacksonville to sleep aboard and observe aboard the ship,” said Snowberger.
The group is in the process of finalizing all of this. You can help their efforts to make this happen as quickly as possible. If you'd like to donate to the USS Adams project or volunteer with the group, visit:
ussadams.com.