A widely known submarine museum in Hackensack is in need of a new home.
When the USS Ling and the New Jersey Naval Museum first came to Hackensack in the 1970s, the Hackensack River was bustling with commercial activity and crowds eager to see World War II history. But business on the river was abandoned, and public interest in the submarine waned.
Les Altschuler, vice president of the Submarine Memorial Foundation, says the group used to get donations and grants, but those days are gone.
The museum closed permanently in summer 2015 after part of the pier collapsed due to damage from Superstorm Sandy. The property owner this past May terminated the museum's lease as the area is scheduled for redevelopment.
Technically, the submarine can stay in its current spot since the property owner does not own the river. However, the museum and its artifacts need to go. The Submarine Memorial Foundation is currently most concerned with finding a home for a memorial from the USS Gudgeon.
The property owner and museum officials plan on meeting early next month.