Pete Davidson And Colin Jost's Ferry Bar Plans May Hit Rough Waters
In January, it was revealed that Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, along with comedy club owner Paul Italia, placed a $280,000 bid on a Staten Island ferry called the John F. Kennedy, per Vulture. Both of the Staten Island natives have a tie to the ferry — Jost rode it to school and Davidson rode it to gigs. They are hoping to turn the ferry into an entertainment venue with food and of course, comedy.
"There's a few levels," Davidson said in an interview with People in February. "There's going to be a bar, there's going to be a nice restaurant ... and the big space is going to be an entertainment space." The comedian was able to see the boat from his room and pointed it out in the interview. "We're gonna dock it in the city, and have a nice thing," he added. "Or it could all go to s***."
Jost also joked about the process of the big project. On "Late Night with Seth Meyers," he said, "This is why idiots should not be able to do things. Pete and I bought this boat and then there's so many immediate decisions you have to make." The "Weekend Update" co-anchor said that they jokingly named the boat "Titanic 2," which doesn't look good for presenting it to insurance companies. But it seems that recently, the two have already run into more issues with their property.
Previous captain of Pete Davidson and Colin Jost's ferry expresses concerns
In April 2022, Colin Jost expressed that he was aware of how big of a project it was going to be when he decided to purchase a Staten Island ferry with Pete Davidson, hoping to turn it into an entertainment venue. "I'm a cautious person by nature and this is definitely the riskiest thing that I've done," he told the New York Times. But it looks like the ferry will need a lot more attention than expected.
Former captain of the boat, Kevin Hennessey, told the New York Daily News, "I wish these guys luck with the project, but they're going to need some help." He mentioned that there is an issue with the asbestos paneling, as well as the engines that were damaged from a past fire. One of the Staten Island ferry workers added that there's also a cockroach problem from litter. Paul Italia, one of the investors, denied the claims and said that he will be announcing future plans for the boat by the end of the year.
In March, the head of Waterfront Alliance told the U.S. Sun that an "optimistic goal" for the ferry to be up and running would be around five years. "It's striking this balance between being encouraging and realistic, and we will be thrilled when it opens," they said.