ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The National Sailing Hall of Fame will officially leave Maryland for Rhode Island, barring any last-minute discoveries.
The Capital reports the board of directors voted 17-9 Tuesday to proceed with its deal to purchase space in Newport’s historic Armory Building. President Gary Jobson says the vote total represented “a strong statement in favor of Newport,” but the site still needs to be inspected for structural and environmental issues before the Nov. 8 deal deadline.
The hall plans to spend about $4 million in total, including installing exhibits. It has a lease on a state-owned building in Annapolis until 2020, but hadn’t been successful in building a museum.
Despite the departure, a spokeswoman for Mayor Gavin Buckley says Annapolis won’t relinquish its title as the “sailing capital of the world.”
