PHILADELPHIA — The SS United States, a historic and record-breaking ocean liner that once hosted royalty and presidents, has escaped the scrap heap and will undergo a rebirth, supporters announced Thursday.
The ship’s conservancy group issued a statement saying it has an option agreement with a redevelopment partner. No further details will be released until a news conference Feb. 4 in New York, according to conservancy spokesman Tom Basile.
The luxury vessel had its maiden voyage in 1952 and still holds the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic passenger ship crossing. Taken out of service in 1969, the SS United States was stripped of its interior years ago. The rusting hulk, which is larger than the Titanic, has been moored in Philadelphia for nearly two decades.
