Discussion is underway to make an attempt to bring the decommissioned USS John F. Kennedy to Boston.
The aircraft carrier, as tall as the Empire State Building and displacing 100,000 tons, would be a wonderful tourist venue capable of generating millions of dollars while at the same time bringing tens of thousands of tourists into the Boston tourist marketplace and creating hundreds of jobs.
It is possible the ship could be used to accommodate as many as 5,000 students for special programs or could become the lynchpin of a much bigger development.
There are, however, two problems.
Where to put it and how to finance taking care of it – as it is a floating piece of steel that will need costly care and repair as well as dry-docking from time to time to insure the integrity of the ship’s hull.
Because it stands about 15 stories high and rise and falls with the tides an additional 6-8 feet, it is not the type of ship that you dock along the Boston shoreline.
Efforts by Governor Deval Patrick and Senator John Kerry to bring back the USS JFK should be lauded.
It is a great idea and a fitting tribute as well to JFK.
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