BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D - NY) announced that $7.5 million has been secured in the Senate appropriations bill that will go towards the repair and restoration effort of the USS The Sullivans.
USS The Sullivans, a decommissioned United States Navy Fletcher-class destroyer, began sinking at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park on Buffalo's waterfront in April. Naval park leadership reported a major breach in the hull caused the ship to take on water.
Just days after it began sinking, Schumer was in Buffalo to announce a three-prong plan to secure federal funding to save the ship.
In May, officials announced the effort to save the Sullivans moved from the emergency to the maintenance phase. They announced all of the repairs that were made were temporary and more permanent repairs would have to be made in the future as assessments continued.
“In April I put out an SOS to the feds – Save Our Sullivans- and promised it would be all hands on deck until we got the funding needed to restore this pride and joy of Buffalo. Now I am proud to announce that hope is on the horizon to fully restore the USS The Sullivans and ensure she remains at Canalside as a beacon on Buffalo’s beautiful waterfront. This funding is the lifeboat this historic vessel needs to complete its repairs, and I will keep fighting to guide us through these rocky waters and steer this ship through the repair and restoration process to keep her safe and seaworthy for generations to come.”
“This investment will mean the restoration of the USS The Sullivans and secure its place in Buffalo’s Naval and Military Park for generations to come. I was proud to stand with Senator Schumer almost immediately after the ship began to sink and once again he has delivered for an iconic Buffalo institution.”
Of the $7.5 million, $2.5 million will come from the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund and $5 million will come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Fund.
