LONG BEACH : Study Urges Card Casino on Queen Mary
The Queen Mary ocean liner should be turned into an entertainment center featuring a card casino if the Long Beach landmark is to be profitable, according to a study released Tuesday.
The report said the only other economically viable options are to mothball the ship and keep it in the port as a city symbol, or to sell, scrap or sink the vessel.
The city hired Economics Research Associates of Los Angeles to study the potential uses for the ship after the Walt Disney Co. announced it would not renew its management lease on the tourist attraction after Sept. 30. Disney, which manages the ship and related facilities, estimated that it has lost $7 million to $8 million a year on the operation. Long Beach is negotiating with the company to continue running the ship until the end of the year.
City officials took no action Tuesday on the report. They are awaiting another study, scheduled to be completed by October, on how to best use the entire 55-acre parcel that is home to the Queen Mary and the Spruce Goose.
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