American Rescue Plan Act Impact Series 7: Improving Top Tourist Attraction
Posted on: Jun 12th, 2024 | AnnouncementsCOVID-19Featured News
The USS Alabama welcomes approximately 350,000 each year to Battleship Memorial Park. Since making Mobile County its home in 1965, the ship has had more than 19 million visitors, including Hollywood stars Steven Segal, Tommie Lee Jones, and Nicholas Cage while filming their respective action films Under Siege and USS Indianapolis.
While visits to the park contribute millions to county and state tourism, officials say the wear and tear on the ship’s teak deck has become evident over the past several years.
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park was one of several organizations awarded grant funds from the Mobile County Commission’s American Rescue Plan Act. The park received $1 million towards teak deck repairs.
“The ship is 82 years old, and those decks are part of the ship’s original
parts,” said Executive Director Major General Janet Cobb. “She fought in World War II, was mothballed up in Burlington, Washington, and was on a list to be scrapped by the government until the school children in the state of Alabama raised $100,000 by giving their lunch money to save her. That amount of money during that time was a lot, but that’s how determined they were to get the ship to Alabama.
“The ship was towed from Washington to Alabama in 1964, and the park opened the following year,” Cobb continued. “She’s (USS Alabama Battleship) worn out. Repairs to the teak deck are not only about aesthetics, but they are also a safety issue.”
As of December 31, 2022, since its opening in 1965, USS Alabama Battleship Park has brought in $393,082,428 to the local economy and $917,192,332 to the state of Alabama.
The three-year, $8.5 million project is expected to be completed in 2024.
Cobb, USA, retired, said the funds awarded by the County have proven invaluable.
“We have one bank account called the ‘teak deck’ account, and everything paid to the contractor is from that account. The $ 1 million from the County came when we were at the heart of the project,” Cobb said. “We rely on tourism dollars, so our winter months are lean. This allocation gives me the comfort of knowing that we can meet the legislative mission. Without the money from the County, we would be unable to finish the project without borrowing large sums of money.”
With the coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic shutting down the world in 2020, Cobb said the local, state, and national officials continue to attempt to make the best out of a tragic situation.
“No one could have predicted the money that would come out of the pandemic,” she said. “The county commission, the city, and the state have been meticulous in how they distribute these funds. Because they have to answer to the public and the federal government and justify how this money is spent, they continue to do their due diligence, and it’s admirable.”
Teak decks are often found on naval vessels and require extensive
restoration and repairs to ensure their preservation for future generations. They are known for their durability and resistance to decay.
In 2021, the Mobile County Commission received $80.26 million from the ARPA state and local fiscal recovery funds. Commissioners Merceria Ludgood, Connie Hudson, and Randall Dueitt established five goals for these funds, including increasing economic recovery and growth efforts, like this investment in Mobile County’s top tourist attraction.
RPA funds will be used to continue the County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic while investing in initiatives for a robust economic recovery and reducing demand for state taxpayer dollars used for recovery efforts.
Photos courtesy of the USS Alabama. Interview by A. Henderson.
CLICK HERE for impact article 1: Journey to Recovery
CLICK HERE for impact article 2: Semmes Public Safety Complex
CLICK HERE for impact article 3: Boys & Girls Clubs Summer Programs
CLICK HERE for impact article 4: Mobile Sports Authority Portable Courts
CLICK HERE for impact article 5: Continental Commissary Kitchen