The Battleship Iowa will remain in its current spot in the Los Angeles harbor for another three decades — and its operators have set their sights on creating a veterans park and multipurpose community building on adjacent land.
The Los Angeles harbor commission approved a lease extension for the iconic World War II battleship on Friday, March 15. The lease, which was initially set to expire in May 2027, will now run through March 2057, pending Los Angeles City Council approval.
The ship arrived in San Pedro is 2012 amid hopes it could become a top tourist attraction.
And it’s become one.
From educational programs to special events — the biggest of which is LA Fleet Week — the docked ship has become one of San Pedro’s most recognized mainstays.
“When the Iowa came, we had a true national attraction,” said Alan Johnson of Jerico Development, which is creating West Harbor, a massive new attraction in the San Pedro portion of the LA Waterfront. “I personally couldn’t imagine the town without it now. It’s part of the fabric of the community.”
The nonprofit that runs the battleship, which was recently designated as the national Museum of the Surface Navy, has been looking to boost that popularity even further.
It had a five-year plan to move to move the battleship to a more southern portion of the LA Watefront, closer to West Harbor, which is under construction and expected to open next year.
But officials determined the move would be too costly.
So the ship’s operators have now staked the Iowa’s future on its current spot, just north of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, and next to the town’s cruise ship terminal and the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
The ship is set to receive a $6.7 million state grant to create a Freedom of the Seas Park and Pavilion at berths 88-89, according to a harbor commission board report.
The historic vessel, Battleship Iowa CEO Jonathan Williams told the harbor commission on Friday, is looking to “continue to…
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