Ernie Boch Jr. is 'very close' to having the bridge to Swansea's Pleasure Island fixed

Like anybody who needs a home improvement job done, Ernie Boch Jr. is at the mercy of contractors.

Boch, the CEO of Subaru of New England and philanthropist who helped build a billion-dollar fortune selling cars across the Northeast, bought Pleasure Island in Swansea for $1 million last summer. So far, the Swansea building department has received no requests for building or demolition permits on the property.

With warmer weather just over the horizon and construction season starting up, though, it’s possible residents of Swansea’s Ocean Grove neighborhood could see some action sometime this year — but it'll depend on when Boch can get a contractor to (wait for it) come on down.

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What’s happening with Pleasure Island?

Back when Boch toured Pleasure Island in August 2022, he said that before any renovations occur, the bridge needed to be fixed. On Monday, Boch said in an interview with The Herald News on Monday that he’s “very close” to hiring a contractor.

“I have a lot of projects on the table,” Boch said. “I am slowly chipping away at this. But I am getting bids on the bridge, because I really can’t do anything until I get the bridge done and shore it up.”

Once he hires a contractor, it’ll be up to that contractor to fit the job into their schedule. Boch said he hopes that can happen this year — but as many homeowners may know, dealing with supply issues and schedules has been tricky in recent years.

“Like everything else, it’s insane,” Boch joked.

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What condition is his bridge in?

The bridge is a wooden structure about 275 to 300 feet long across the Cole River, separating Pleasure Island from the mainland in Ocean Grove.

It has been severely dilapidated for many years and may be unsafe for vehicles to traverse; in fact, concerns about the bridge’s safety are one major reason why Pleasure Island was closed to the public halfway through the 2000s.

What does Ernie Boch Jr. want to do with his island once the bridge is complete?

When he toured his new property last year, Boch said the island, a former concert and events venue, was “screaming to do something cool to.” But Boch was cautious about what that might be, saying he was not interested in creating another noisy events venue and that he wanted buy-in from the community. That’s still the case.

“I want to meet with the town first to kind of get their vibe,” Boch said.

But first things first.

“I love the place. It’s great. It’s beautiful this time of year," Boch said. “But my number one focus is getting the bridge done.” 

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Ernie Boch Jr. 'close' to fixing bridge to Swansea's Pleasure Island