EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
LST 325 could leave Evansville for another home port unless the city and the ship's board of directors extend the current contract.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana says the LST 325 may have intentions of leaving it's dock here in Evansville.
The ship's current contract with the city runs through 2015, but after that is still up in the air.
A number of cities are interested, and are entertaining the idea of bringing the LST to their city.
Early morning visitors walk the deck of the LST 325 that in a few years could be bound for a new home port.
"I'd like to see it stay," said one of those visitors.
"It's such a link to the past. It would be such a tragedy if it didn't, it didn't exist," another visitor said.
LST board member, John Engstrom says the memorial board has been in talks with at least two other cities- Peoria, Illinois and to our east, Jeffersonville, Indiana across the Ohio River from Louisville.
"Evansville would like to keep the LST here. We're just in the tentative stages of talking with them, the same with other cities," Engstrom said.
Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore says he hopes the LST will be the city's next big riverfront attraction, but says there's still a lot of work to be done.
"They've got a commitment and a lease to stay in Evansville through 2015. They've kind of hinted that possibly they could get out of that a little bit sooner," Moore said.
In a statement, Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke says he's confident the city and the LST can reach a mutual agreement before the ship sets course for a new home.
"It takes a lot of money to keep this ship operational," Engstrom said.
Mayor Winnecke also points out that the city has been implementing new marketing plans to help bring visitors to the ship.
Engstrom says the board has made no decision yet. Evansville and the LST are still in negotiations.
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A number of cities are interested, and are entertaining the idea of bringing the LST to their city.
