The Hawaii Department of Transportation announced today it would seek to delist the Falls of Clyde from the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.

DOT said this delisting is necessary in order to “facilitate the disposition” of the ship as it seeks to redevelop Pier 7, where the ship is moored, at Honolulu Harbor.

The Falls of Clyde, built in 1878 in Port Glasglow, Scotland, is the last remaining example of an iron-hulled, four-masted, sailing oil tanker, according to Honolulu-based nonprofit, Friends of Falls of Clyde, with an extensive history in Hawaii as a Matson transport ship and museum.

It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and designated a national historic landmark in 1989.

Bruce McEwan, president of Friends of the Falls of Clyde, opposes the delisting, as does the Scotland-based group, Falls of Clyde International, which still seeks to return the ship back to her birthplace. Both believe the ship can still be restored.

But DOT said a recently commissioned survey of the ship in March found the ship’s structural integrity has deteriorated substantially over the years.

“This step is not at all a reflection of the vessel’s important history, ” said DOT in a news release. “HDOT has an obligation to ensure public resources, including commercial harbors and related infrastructure, are being managed effectively.”

DOT said, “We understand that some members of the public will be disappointed by the vessel’s removal from Honolulu Harbor, but we remain open to supporting the ship’s owner, Friends of Falls of Clyde, partnering with an entity that can both remove and preserve the property.”

The proposal to delist the Falls of Clyde is scheduled for to the state Historic Places Review Board’s meeting on Aug. 11.