A retired Navy admiral is spearheading an effort to bring his former Navy frigate to the shores of Erie. He said it will be a great addition to our already rich maritime history.

The USS Halyburton could be docked in Erie by 2024, but there are still steps the Oliver Hazard Perry Shipyard has to take to acquire it.

The Oliver Hazard Perry Shipyard will be submitting phase two of its application to the U.S. Navy to bring  USS Halyburton to Erie this week

“That application will go to the Navy for review, and they will do their due diligence. I would think it would take several months before we hear back from the Navy about whether we’re successful or not. From there, phase three is six months, and after that, we wait and hope,” said Joe Pfadt, executive director and CEO of the Oliver Hazard Perry Shipyard.

Rear Admiral Robert Reilly Jr. made a stop in Erie to advocate for the ship he served on to come here.

“For us that serve on these types of vessels, it’s their home, and when you go overseas, you do some amazing things. It’s a small city, so when you hear about an initiative like this, it’s not hard to get involved,” said Robert Reilly Jr., rear admiral of the U.S. Navy retired.

With so much maritime history already in Erie, the admiral said the USS Halyburton will only add to its history.

“When the ship arrives in Erie, you are going to have an example of the way the Navy operates today. It was decommissioned in 2014, so it’s relatively young,” Reilly added.

The admiral said something unique for Erie is that the ship will have its own shipyard with Donjon Shipbuilding being along the bayfront.

“I understand from OHPS, that Halyburton can be accommodated in the ship’s drydock which is a big deal, because every once in a while, you’ve got to paint the bottom and make sure they’re no leaks,” said Reilly.

For more information on this development, head to Oliver Hazard Perry Shipyard’s Facebook page.