Retired ferry to become floating entertainment venue

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) _ A state ferry may get a second life as an entertainment venue.

The Kitsap Sun reports (http://bit.ly/2jYh73h ) that Washington State Ferries announced Monday that the retired ferry Hiyu has been sold to Menagerie Inc., which plans to use it as a floating entertainment venue on Lake Union. The 50-year-old ferry was sold for $150,000 and will be towed from the Eagle Harbor maintenance yard.

WSF Chief of Staff Elizabeth Kosa says the agency works to make sure retired ferries are operational and not sold for scrap.

The 120-foot Hiyu operated form 1967 until 2015. Because the small ship had only a 34-vehicle capacity and lacked Americans with Disabilities Act compliance the cost f upkeep eventually outweighed the ship's usefulness.