The step means that the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, which opened a little over a year ago and has 19 concessions, will close on May 1, 2007, the Navy said.

The commercial venture on 6.4 acres generated controversy from its inception, drawing criticism from some politicians and Pearl Harbor survivors who said it trivialized the sanctity of the USS Arizona Memorial, and competed with other non-profit attractions like the USS Missouri Memorial and USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park.

Another historical venue, the Pacific Aviation Museum — Pearl Harbor, is scheduled to open on Dec. 7 on Ford Island on the 65th anniversary of the Japanese surprise attack that launched the United States into World War II.