In an unexpected turn of events, Saturday Night Live stars Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, alongside Paul Italia, owner of Manhattan comedy club The Stand, have ventured into a novel project.
They’ve pooled resources to purchase a decommissioned 1965-built Staten Island Ferry vessel named the John F. Kennedy, aiming to transform it into a floating midcentury-style hotel and event space.
Unveiling the Ambitious Plan
The $280,000 acquisition made headlines in 2022, raising eyebrows and sparking curiosity. However, despite initial skepticism, Davidson, Jost, and Italia, in collaboration with architect Ron Castellano, are forging ahead with their ambitious vision.
They plan to transform the ferry into a multifaceted entertainment hub but that’s not all! They want the outside of the ferry to more or less stay the same since Davidson and Jost are both Staten Island natives.
Castellano divulged that the interior design will pay homage to the vessel’s 1965 roots, incorporating nostalgic elements such as baby-blue Formica and retro pink accents.
The Future of the Project
Anticipation swirls around the project, which boasts a $34 million budget. Plans include multiple bars, restaurants, event spaces, and hotel rooms, promising a vibrant and dynamic experience for visitors. Catellano said
It’s going to have a lot of things. I think right now, we have six bars and two venues, operated separately or combined. We have outdoor event space, we have two restaurants, 25 hotel rooms.
Though initially on a podcast, with Sete Meyers, ‘Family Trips with The Meyer Brothers’, Pete Davidson joked that their ‘Titanic 2’ has a lot of plans in store for it, but it unclear whether or not they would go through with it. He said,
We wanna be able to dock it from April to September, maybe October, in New York and it will be like a restaurant,” Davidson said. “There will be a concert venue. There will be a movie theater, upstairs like, sort of, restaurant area. And then there’s hotels in it. So, we’ll have like you know a couple of those. And then in the winter tug it to Miami.
Community Concerns
In almost every interview and podcast, Pete Davidson has a couple of jokes aimed at their purchase. Even had an SNL skit dedicated to it performed on their iconic ‘Weekend Update’ skit with Alex Moffat.
There has been a lot of jokes thrown around at their purchase. Jost saying that they “definitely thought it through” and Davidson wishing that it would be Transformer and leave so he could stop paying for it. Davidson also said,
I saw a link and sent a deposit and now I’m stuck with a f***ing boat. It’s really funny, dude. It’s kinda funny that this will be a lifelong problem for me and Colin.
Which is probably why Staten Island Residents aren’t exactly excited with having the boat in full view all the time while waiting for it to be repaired. Though Davidson said their vision for the ferry would take around 5 years, there are some concerned citizens that doubt this claim.
Residents have commented,
I think he and his buddy bought it on a whim and realized it would cost a fortune to fix it up… Look at it. It belongs on the scrap yard.
and
It’s kind of an eyesore. Maybe they should retire it for good, if you know what I mean.
Government Support
Though it’s not all scrutiny for the project. NYC Councilman Joe Borelli and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, express support for their vision. Borelli said
I would give anything to see Pete Davidson and Colin Jost redevelop this thing into something fantastic, and if they need help, there are a lot of Staten Islanders in government that would be willing to help make it happen.
While Fosella supported this statement by saying that they will be more than happy to help them with anything in the repairs of their boat, that is of course, if they need help in the first place.
We hear all about comedians and their businesses but how often do you hear about comedians buying a literal ferry and then turning it into something special? For more interesting news then our site is just a few clicks away! Plus if you’re looking for great comedy shows and hilarious comedians, then we’ve got you covered with 7 nights a week at Big Belly Comedy Club!
Pete Davidson
