Preservation Group Submits Bid to Save Falls of Clyde

News Release from Save Falls of Clyde - International, August 2, 2021

I can confirm that we have now submitted our bid in the RFP process, set up recently by DOT Harbours Dept of Honolulu, for the removal of the Falls of Clyde. During this process we have engaged with local suppliers in Hawaii for goods and services to assist in the move and we have advised their legal team, that if our bid is successful, that we will comply with all local legal, tax, labor requirements, this also includes the USCG, NPS the EPA and the local Hawaii State Historic dept needs.

We are hopeful that we have done enough to meet their concerns by offering the most environmentally and technically competent proposal to safeguard the harbour interests and that of the ship herself

Now we have to wait until they management at the DOT decide, what is best for the peoples of Hawaii.

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We are delighted to show architectural renderings for the proposed new home for the Fall Of Clyde (FOC) in Greenock. This is the natural home for the FOC having been built only a few miles away in Port Glasgow.

We are attempting to create a visitor experience based around the ship reconstruction at Victoria Harbour - I would add that this will form part of our formal planning application for the site but it is subject to the agreement of Peel Properties that currently lease the site from Inverclyde Council. We are to meet with them at the end of this week to discuss this further.

The site will contain a museum telling the story of lower Clyde shipyards, offer retail and leisure opportunities, contain a genealogy centre with with the addition of local crafts and a visitor skills centre where visitors can watch fabrication of ships parts, woodworking, welding and rigging skills from a safe distance.

The site is made up of converted industrial containers, with lots of glass areas and light being filtered into the units, in some cases units will be joined to create larger retail units and entrepreneurial start up outlets.

I can also advise that we are currently in discussions to bring home to the Clyde, a former Type21 Frigate, possibly HMS Ambuscade which was originally built on the Clyde. This has involved the Museums of the RN, the MOD, the Pakistan Govt/Navy, BAE systems, the Type 21 Association and a mix of senior serving and retired officers from the R.N., we will advise further as we make progress on this.

It is hoped that the site can attract up to 250/500k visitors per annum, capitalising on the cruise market that has now reopened globally, hopefully encouraging visitors to stay in the area to learn more about the towns heritage and ambitions for new clean emission technologies within a rebuilt Falls of Clyde. It will create local jobs and once the ship is rebuilt and operational we anticipate this will bring in around £12m each year into the local economy of Inverclyde

A huge thank you also to Framed Estates Ltd, our Architects, based in Paisley who have prepared the more comprehensive outline planning document, thanks to Sheenagh and Chris for their patience as we tried to convey the wider vision for the site based around the ship. I look forward to working with you more closely as we move forward.

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SA: State received 2 proposals in bid for removal of the Falls of Clyde from Honolulu Harbor