Factors 'simply too extraordinary to overcome' force Baytown, Beaumont out of running for Battleship Texas

The Southeast Texas cities of Baytown and Beaumont are out of the running to become the new home of the Battleship Texas, per a report from Houston NBC affiliate KPRC. 

Over the summer, the century-old dreadnought left its longtime home at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte to undergo $35 million worth of much-needed repairs in Galveston.

KPRC reported that officials in Baytown, which is about 30 miles east of Houston, expressed disappointment in their city no longer being up for consideration as the permanent host of the U.S.S. Texas.

“The City of Baytown is disappointed with Battleship Texas Foundation’s decision that Baytown was not selected as the ship’s final resting place,” a statement obtained by the station read. “Together with many Baytownians, we believed this great city and Bayland Island would have been an ideal location for showcasing its rich history. In the end, the financial implications and resources required for bringing such a monument to Baytown were simply too extraordinary to overcome.”

Beaumont leaders are also disappointed by the development, Beaumont ABC affiliate KBMT reported. 

"It’s not really surprising, considering the lack of unanimity on council for this project, we simply ran out of time, the Battleship Texas had to make a decision on where they would put the ship," Beaumont City Councilmember Mike Getz said, per KBMT. 

The Battleship Texas Foundation, the nonprofit organization that works to preserve and enhance the early 20th Century warship, said its search for a new suitable location will continue, with a final decision to be made in a few months.

Houston Daily reported in September the U.S.S. Texas last hosted the public at San Jacinto in the previous spring. 

Commissioned in 1914, the battleship served in World War I and World War II, surviving both conflicts. 

Following its 1948 decommission, it settled near the site of the decisive victory over Mexico in the Texas Revolution of 1836 and hosted tens of thousands of visitors until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.