July 30, 2003 In the year since Gizmo first examined Freedom Ship - an ambitious project that aims to create a floating city almost a mile long with a full-scale airstrip on the roof - engineers and architects have developed a new exterior design. The extensive changes in the evolving appearance of Freedom Ship are particularly noticeable at the stern, where a new port authority and large docking area for smaller leisure craft and visiting vessels has been incorporated. The sides of the massive ship have also undergone significant design changes with three extended bays carved out of the decks on the port and starboard sides of the vessel creating unique open-air promenades.
The Freedom Ship will cater for 50,000 people and the vision is to create a unique lifestyle that enables residents to work, live, and travel simultaneously as well as a moving tourist destination - all services by the "in-house" large fleet of commuter aircraft and hydrofoils.The interior of the ship is split into two city districts - commercial and residential. The commercial district will feature the world-class education and healthcare systems and business will be conducted in the world's largest mall. A 6000 room hotel and the largest casino in the world are also planned for the commercial district and the residential district will feature a wide variety of apartments, most of them priced between US$200,000 and US$1,500,000. "The Both Districts will feature streets and city blocks and other infrastructure that can be found in a large city", said Jeremy Beadner, VP of Design Coordination at Freedom Ship. "The blocks will feature different architectural themes. As you walk through the city you will feel as if you have journeyed around the world. The city will feature large parks with ecosystems such as rain forests, Japanese gardens, and woodlands. Saltwater aquariums will be incorporated throughout the city. In fact, we have plans for an aquarium one third the size of a football field that is 27 stories tall and has a glass elevator ascending through the center of the aquarium." The long incubation period for the project is reportedly drawing to a close with the latest news from Freedom Ship addressing concerns about moving the ship into the construction phase. According to Beadner, "A big turning point occurred when we brought in our current Chief Financial Officer about 10 months ago. We feel we have a good grasp of the financial area and have developed a financial plan for our success. Construction should begin within the next 9 months." Freedom Ship confident that they have "a good handle" on the construction, economic and technical aspects of the project and argue that there is a market for not just one, but three to six of these floating cities. A site to build the first ship has been selected at the Bay of Trujillo in Honduras and financing is now the key focus of the project. To this end, Freedom Ship is setting up a "Future Freedom Ship Residents Association" with the aim of enhancing both investment and design as the project continues to evolve.To achieve these goals the future Freedom Ship Residents Association will seek to feedback from those who are serious about parting with between US$200,000 and US$5 million to obtain a slice of the unique real-estate (and lifestyle) offered by the project.
No reservations for real estate are being accepted at this stage but more information regarding purchasing procedures will be posted on the www.FreedomShip.com once construction begins.
