In what just might be the strangest real estate story of theyear, Maritime has presented a plan to build a floating hotel, tobe docked at Pier 35 in San Francisco. The 568-room hotel andconference center is projected to ring up $150 million inconstruction costs. It is planned as an 860-foot ship built as anexact replica of the Titanic. The ship shall be christened theTitanic II, in honor of its sibling, which currently rests at thebottom of the sea.

Maritime predicts that the luxury hotel project would beinstantly profitable, no doubt due to the worldwide fascinationwith the Titanic brought on by the James Cameron film. While thedeveloper reportedly has ties to the development-friendly Brownadministration, the proposal is not without its critics. TheFisherman's Wharf Association, as well as waterfront businessowners have reservations about the project, and have criticized thePort for straying from promoting actual seafaring uses of thepiers.