Kammala wannan jumla: "Ginin Kentucky ya sha wahala daga dakatarwa. An kafa ta a Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, a ranar 7 ga Maris, 1942. Duk da haka, an dakatar da aiki a kan jirgin a watan Yunin wannan shekarar, kuma an kaddamar da tsarin "Kentucky" don samar da wuri don gina LST a ranar 10 ga Yuni. Duk da yake an dakatar da gininsa, Ofishin Jirgin ruwa ya yi la'akari da wani shiri na sauya fasalin jirgin sama na "Kentucky" da "Illinois" a bayan yakin Coral Sea da
Tsakanin hanya. Kamar yadda aka ba da shawara, "Kentucky" da aka gyara zai kasance da jirgin sama mai tsawo da fadi, tare da makamai daidai da masu dauke da su: hudu masu bin bindigogi na 5-inch da hudu masu bindigogi na 5-inch a cikin guda ɗaya, tare da shida 40 mm hudu. An yi watsi da wannan ra'ayin bayan da Ofishin Jirgin ruwa ya yanke shawarar cewa jiragen ruwa da aka canza za su dauki jiragen sama fiye da na "Essex", cewa za a iya gina wasu masu dauke da "Essex" a cikin lokaci guda, kuma cewa aikin gyaran zai kasance da tsada fiye da sabon "Essex". Maimakon haka, "Kentucky" da "Illinois" za a kammala su a matsayin jiragen ruwa, amma an ba da fifiko sosai. An ci gaba da aiki a kan jirgin a ranar 6 ga watan Disamba, 1944, lokacin da aka mayar da tsarin keel zuwa slideway. Aikin a kan jirgin yaƙi ya ci gaba a hankali, kuma an kammala shi a cikin kashi na uku na 1946. A watan Disamba na shekarar 1945 an ba da shawarar cewa "Kentucky" za a kammala shi a matsayin jirgin yaki na jirgin sama, kuma an dakatar da aiki a kan jirgin a watan Agustan 1946 yayin da ake la'akari da wannan. An sake sake gina shi a ranar 17 ga watan Agustan 1948 ba tare da an yanke shawara a kan zane na karshe ba. Aikin "Kentucky" ya ci gaba har zuwa 20 ga Janairu, 1950, lokacin da aka yanke shawarar dakatar da aiki a kan jirgin. Bayan wannan, an fitar da ita daga cikin bushewar ta don share sarari don gyaran jirgin ruwa na 'yar'uwa, wanda ya sauka a hanya daga Hampton Roads.