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Port Canaveral wants to rent Exploration Tower to new tenant

Port centerpiece with exhibits, museum has lost money since opening in 2013

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – It was designed to look like a sail, but as far as making money for Port Canaveral, that ship never came in.

The seven-story Exploration Tower has been losing money since opening in 2013. For the last two years, mostly because of maintenance, it’s been closed. Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray said at last month’s commission meeting, to cut losses the port now wants to rent the tower to someone else.

“We have one interested party that we’re talking to right now,” Murray said. “It seems to be progressing slowly, but it is progressing. If that doesn’t materialize, then we’ll go into the market in general.”

The new operators would take on exhibits, a theatre, a museum and an observation deck to create new spaces for the tower.

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The top floor was used to watch rocket launches.

Murray said that a space company might be interested in moving in. He did not name that company in last month’s meeting.

“With all these launches, there’s got to be somebody that at least wants to watch a launch from there so that’s good,” commission chairman Micah Loyd said.

Murray said the lease would be ten years or longer.

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