JFK going to South Florida to be a floating museum?

thelakelander · January 25, 2008, 08:39:15 AM

Ummmm, how about docking it in.....ummmmm.....Jacksonville?

Museum sought for Kennedy

QuotePaul Troxell, founder of the JFK CV-67 Memorial Foundation, is working to find a permanent port for the ship in South Florida. He wants to convert it into the JFK Maritime Museum and base it in Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale or in downtown Miami. Officials there have concerns about finding space.

After retiring after more than 30 years in the aeronautics industry, Troxell founded the memorial foundation last January and has been working to preserve the Kennedy ever since.

Troxell was aboard the Kennedy on its trip from Jacksonville to Boston last year, an experience that he "truly enjoyed."

The original idea was to dock the carrier in Boston, but that idea was abandoned due to seasonal, inclement weather conditions and required dredging.

full article: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/012508/met_240040689.shtml

Steve · January 25, 2008, 09:54:12 AM

"That would be silly - what would we use it for?"

-Signed, City Officials

thelakelander · January 25, 2008, 09:58:02 AM

Its sad that the thing was here for decades and we're not even in the discussion of possibilities for its final location.

Lunican · January 25, 2008, 07:04:50 PM

You can't line your pockets with an old ship. duh.

02roadking · January 25, 2008, 07:34:57 PM

I would love to have it here, but, where could we put it?

Ocklawaha · January 25, 2008, 08:09:40 PM

This ones easy fella's we just pull er up the Arlington River and use it as a airstrip rather then extend craig...

We could even offer "flex runways" where on tuesdays we plug in the JFK and land the big planes and on Friday they all fly away. Meanwhile we could store it up Orange Creek off the Ocklawaha River below Palatka, We might need to adjust the Shands bridge in Green Cove Springs... hee hee.

Ocklawaha

Seraphs · January 25, 2008, 11:35:04 PM

Quote from: thelakelander on January 25, 2008, 09:58:02 AM
Its sad that the thing was here for decades and we're not even in the discussion of possibilities for its final location.

I agree lake, it's sad we're not in the discussion for the JFK. However, after the huge rigamarole these Jacksonville people raised over possibly making the Super Saratoga a floating museum I would make the JFK a reef in a distant sea before even considering Jacksonville.

What is even more interesting is if this guy pulls this off and the JFK is docked in South Florida as a museum. What do you think the visionless naysayers in this town would say then!!

fightingosprey07 · February 02, 2008, 09:37:11 PM

If we could fit it in front of the ford assembly plant, we could make one huge jacksonville maritime/industry museum

avonjax · February 12, 2008, 02:02:50 PM

that would never work here it's too creative an idea...
and in Jax we just can't do that. We must keep things conservative and boring...

reednavy · February 13, 2008, 04:39:21 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it can fit under the Dames Point Bridge, and I wouldn't doubt it. they couldnt really put it there due to the fact it is still an active port docking zone, and its not the best place anyways, being completes surrounded by industrial. Talk to LandMar, if it can fit under DPB, put it at Shipyards, ar make a huge memorial park at the old Southbank Generating Station site. I remember their trying to get a smaller ship downtown though.

hank · February 13, 2008, 07:57:27 AM

This would be a great asset to the city and a public face to the Navy here. They could use something that made their role in maintaining a healthy local economy and population more conspicuous. The Intrepid in NY was a great place to spend a Saturday morning, learn some history, and would get you out on the town spending money.

I think the JFK is 129' 4" in height and the Dames Point Bridge is supposed to clear 175' - I love the Ford plant idea! This is the kind of thing that would be a draw to the east bank.

Quotethat would never work here it's too creative an idea...
and in Jax we just can't do that. We must keep things conservative and boring...

Yeah avon, but that was the OLD JAX. That thinking is so last week.

jay_me0007 · February 20, 2008, 05:22:00 AM

Please forgive me if I'm being ignorant, but what is the significance of this ship?? I never read up on the history of it and only know about it because my high school sweetheart died while working in an enclosed area on the ship in 2004, which brought negative light to Capt. Henderson. Would anyone mind giving me some info. on it's history??

P.S. I'm glad that I found this site, especially since I'm new to the area. Great info. and people on here!

hank · February 20, 2008, 02:10:42 PM

The organization attempting to find the ship a home has some good info...

http://www.savethejfk.com/

jay_me0007 · February 21, 2008, 05:44:18 PM

Thanks for the link......pretty interesting stuff. Wonder what'll happen to it?

pwhitford · February 21, 2008, 08:09:08 PM

Kudos to fightingosprey07! That is the kind of brilliant, original idea that would go a long way to rescue this "almost" major city from its own inept leadership and potentially bleak future. Besides, can't we get some sympathy points from the Navy - they took the carrier base from us (okay, really from Mayport), so the least they can do is give us the decommissioned hull to be the cornerstone of a new Maritime Museum or exhibit. They can help restore at least some of the local economy they abandoned by decommissioning the vessel. Considering Jacksonville's significant maritime history, this might provide a real starting point for a rejuvenation of the Maritime Museum. With all the local port activity (and expected exponential growth), the current and future port tenants are a ready made pool of potential donators.