An investment group that bought the Queen Mary had big plans to redevelop the parking lots and moribund area around the grand ship. The difficult economy, however, appears to be jeopardizing those plans.
"As recently as August, the investment group that bought the ship out of bankruptcy in 2007 was considering everything from a marina, to an amusement park, to hotels, residences and retail. Now, the investors are talking about 'a potential change in ownership.'"
"The Queen Mary currently attracts captive audiences who attend conventions at the downtown Long Beach Convention Center. But to become a major regional attraction, it would likely require the complement of a Universal CityWalk-style destination that plays into the area's maritime tradition while softening its industrial image."
"The seagoing monarch represents an enormous land-use challenge. ... Long Beach has revitalized its shoreline with The Pike entertainment and retail complex, an aquarium and parks, to which the Queen Mary provides a handsome backdrop. But the ship sits across the harbor, with poor road, pedestrian and transit connections, and its immediate surroundings have all the charm of a cargo dock."
FULL STORY: Economic Woes May Capsize Ambitious Plan For Queen Mary
California Colleges Debate Letting Students Sleep in Cars
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
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Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
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Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
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MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
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Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
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Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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