The National Park Service announced that there is no projected reopening date for New York's iconic Ellis Island due to extensive damage it sustained during Superstorm Sandy last October.
This uncertainty comes days after Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's announcement that the Statue of Liberty is set to reopen to the public by the Fourth of July.
Although there is little damage to the museum collection in the Immigration Building, there is significant damage to the infrastructure as a result of the storm, according to the National Park Service. During the storm, water filled the basement of the Immigration Building, and there was also significant damage to mechanical systems and the building's fire suppression system.
The National Park Service stated that it is "working hard to prioritize all the projects needed to reopen and will announce this information as soon as possible."
According to the National Park Service, Salazar stated that repairs to both Ellis Island and Liberty Island could cost as much as $59 million.
Located in Upper New York Bay, Ellis Island served as a gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States from 1892 until 1954. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum opened in 1990 and attracts 3 million visitors each year.
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