The Los Angeles port commissioners have agreed to provide berth space for the USS Iowa, bringing the historic battleship one step closer to San Pedro, it was reported.
As a result of the decision, a nonprofit organization will be able to finalize its proposal to acquire it from the Navy and create a floating museum, according to the DailyBreeze.
The nonprofit group Pacific Battleship Center is working on what it hopes will be the winning bid to bring the Iowa to San Pedro's waterfront at berth 87.
"Our intent is to bring the USS Iowa back to Los Angeles," Robert Kent, the center's president, told NBCLA. "The Iowa is going to be a huge draw."
The Navy recently reopened the application process for the donation of the USS Iowa, which carried President Franklin Roosevelt across the Atlantic for meetings with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The commissioners' decision allows the center to begin fundraising. Originally, they had requested the center put $15 million in escrow to cover potential financial shortfalls but that was later dropped.
Dubbed the "Big Stick," it is about the length of three football fields, and is the last surviving World War II battleship without a home.
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Local officials believe the Iowa would kick start a revitalization of aging harbor attractions by brining in much needed tourism dollars.
"We want to have people think about coming down to the waterfront in San Pedro to see something interesting," Councilwoman Janice Hahn, told NBCLA.
"The USS Midway has generated a half a billion dollars for San Diego -- why wouldn't we want the same thing here in Los Angeles? This is a no-brainer. We should bring the Iowa to the port and we should do it as quickly as possible," she said.
If the Navy accepts the center's bid, the Iowa could be opened to visitors in April 2013.
