
DATE: Sunday, November 9, 1997              TAG: 9711100234

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:  132 lines

RESIDENTS: BRING ON THE WISCONSIN NORFOLK MOORING IDEA IS POPULAR, UNLESS YOU'D BE LIVING NEXT DOOR.

Maybe it's a no-brainer in a region that houses the world's largest naval base, but most of the public reaction Saturday to a proposal to berth the battleship Wisconsin on this city's downtown waterfront seems to be an enthusiastic ``full steam ahead!''

``Norfolk is a Navy city, and I just think it would be a showcase,'' said James R. Jenkins, a retired Navy lieutenant commander who lives in Chesapeake. ``It's good for everybody.''

Navy and city officials confirmed late last week that the service wants to move the mothballed Iowa-class dreadnought - among the four largest and mightiest of the 64 battleships launched by America - from Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth to downtown, possibly at Nauticus.

While it's not a done deal, the possibility was the buzz of the area Saturday when details became public.

``I think this is just a fabulous idea,'' said Charles Abrams of Norfolk. ``They were great old ships, and they'll never be duplicated. It would be the final touch for downtown. I think it would be a classic.''

In response to the news, Abrams and dozens of other residents across Hampton Roads telephoned a Virginian-Pilot call-in line to voice support for the proposal. Starting at 6 a.m. and continuing into the evening, hundreds of Hampton Roads residents registered their opinions on a separate call-in poll. By 6 p.m., there were 323 calls favoring the idea and 10 against it.

While snagging the historic ship would be a coup for Norfolk, residents from Virginia Beach to Wakefield, ranging from veterans and military spouses to people without military ties, called to praise the plan.

Paula Paulk, a Navy wife in Virginia Beach, said the battlewagon would be a tremendous attraction and serve as a source of pride and patriotism.

It was a sentiment heard often.

``Whether people are in the military or not, they can say, `Yes, that's my ship,' '' said Paulk, 37, whose husband, Jimmy, served aboard the Wisconsin in 1991 in the Persian Gulf War, the last time the ship fired its guns in battle.

``Even for kids and people who don't know about battleships, it'd be a place for learning and education, just like Williamsburg,'' she said. ``What do people go there for? For the history. It'd be a financial benefit for the entire area.''

Others called it a sure-fire way to boost Norfolk's downtown and rejuvenate Nauticus, the city-owned maritime center beset by identity problems and declining attendance and described by some as a $52 million boondoggle for city taxpayers.

``This is just what Norfolk needs,'' caller Chad Ballard Sr. said. ``It will save downtown; it will save Nauticus.''

Abrams, 72, who served in the Marines during World War II, said battleships carry a special appeal, enough to get him on the road for the drive of about six hours to Wilmington, N.C., home of the battleship North Carolina. That vesssel is about 150 feet shorter than the behemoth 887-foot Wisconsin.

The North Carolina is a statewide memorial to World War II veterans and draws more than 200,000 visitors annually, even with an $8 charge for adults, said Capt. David R. Scheu, director of the memorial. More than half of the ship's visitors are from out of state, he said.

``Even for civilians in a Navy town, I think having a ship could give you another attraction downtown.''

The terms of the deal being discussed by the Navy and Norfolk officials would allow the public to tour the vessel's teak deck and marvel at its powerful 16-inch guns for free. But it would not be a museum ship, one naval official said. For instance, while visitors to the North Carolina can go below deck, those coming aboard the Wisconsin could not. The Wisconsin's inner hull and passageways would be sealed to prevent rust.

The Navy would retain ownership of the vessel and maintain it as an inactive ship that could be returned to duty in a national emergency. The Navy proposes to foot the entire bill, estimated at $3 million to $5 million, to move the ship downtown, prepare its new mooring and maintain it.

Before the deal is final, the Navy must work out the financing and receive approval to dredge, at a minimum. The City Council has yet to discuss the matter formally, but individual members, including Mayor Paul D. Fraim, back the plan.

Not everyone is thrilled about the prospect, however. At Harbour Place condominiums in Freemason Harbor, directly across from Nauticus, members of the condominium association's board posted notices in the lobby and in elevators about an emergency meeting to be held Monday to discuss the potential impact of the proposal.

``Not in our backyard,'' proclaimed the notice, highlighted by a photo of the Wisconsin with guns aimed straight out.

``Do YOU want to look out at a battleship everyday?'' the notice asked.

One option under consideration is to moor the ship alongside Nauticus in an area known as the north basin, a finger of water that juts landward between Nauticus and the condominiums. Some residents in the building still steam about the construction of the battleship-gray Nauticus, which they say blocked their views.

A battleship, with its massive superstructure, would further obscure the view for many. Some residents said a battleship moored there would create too much congestion downtown, cause major parking headaches and possibly lower property values.

``It's absolutely going to be awful,'' said Peggy Zedd, who lives on the condominium complex's third floor, about eye level with a Navy jet affixed to the second floor of Nauticus.

Some of the condominium residents, however, said they could live with a battleship, saying the larger benefits to the city would be important.

Over at Nauticus, visitors spoke excitedly about the prospect of one day boarding a battleship there.

``I think it would really be stunning on the waterfront and draw some more people here, and lord knows Nauticus could use more people,'' said Norfolk resident Severn Kellam, who has an annual membership there and was visiting with his son, Jonathan. ``I'd like to see Nauticus do well.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos

U.S. NAVY

The Wisconsin, commissioned in 1944, served in three wars.

``Norfolk is a Navy city, and I just think it would be a

showcase. I feel it's good for everybody.''

James R. Jenkins, a retired Navy lieutenant commander

Whether people are in the military or not, they can say, `Yes,

that's my ship.' ''

Paula Paulk,

Navy wife, Virginia Beach; her husband served aboard the

Wisconsin in the Persian Gulf War

They were great old ships, and they'll never be duplicated. It

would be the final touch for downtown. I think it would be a