Of the repairs that were done by Urban Commons, some appear to have been “performed incorrectly or not pursuant to applicable standards, and will likely need to be fixed or re-done in the near term.”
A memo from the city attorney’s office noted that the commission would have to accept the transfer but added that the commission has retained “residual jurisdiction” over certain actions at Pier H and that there appear to be no legal hurdles to return control of it back over to the commission.
City Auditor Laura Doud since December 2019 has been investigating how $23 million in city-issued bonds was spent to fix some of the most critical repairs for the ship listed in the marine survey.
The announcement Monday evening by Councilwoman Cindy Allen’s office adds a new twist to problems surrounding the Queen Mary, whose private operator, hired by the city, is in bankruptcy.
The ship could see yet another new caretaker when the Queen Mary’s lease goes up for auction next month after its current operator, Eagle Hospitality Trust, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January.
Long Beach owns the Queen Mary but has leased the ship to various operators, some of whom have met similar financial struggles.
For decades, the city has leased the ship to various operators who are charged with maintenance, and many of those operators have met similar financial struggles.
The City of Long Beach, which owns the Queen Mary, in a statement on Tuesday said officials are “concerned with this development, as the company has a long-term obligation to ensure the upkeep and operation of the City’s asset.”
Glendale couple say they’ve been fighting since July to get a refund on their $19,283 deposit but have been stonewalled by the ship’s former operator Urban Commons.
Queen Mary’s current operator follows a list of former operators that have that have met financial struggles.
