Pete Davidson and Colin Jost paid $280,100 for a decommissioned Staten Island ferry and plan to turn it into a floating comedy club

staten island ferry
The Staten Island ferry takes passengers between lower Manhattan and Staten Island.Melia Robinson/BI
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"Saturday Night Live" stars Pete Davidson and Colin Jost just bought a boat.

Together with Manhattan real estate broker Paul Italia, Jost and Davidson paid $280,100 to win the auction of the John F. Kennedy — a decommissioned Staten Island ferry.

Both Jost and Davidson are from Staten Island, and the free ferry line is the primary form of public transportation between lower Manhattan and their home borough.

An image from the deck of the John F. Kennedy, a decommissioned Staten Island ferry ship that Pete Davidson and Colin Jost bought at an auction in January 2022.
An image from the deck of the John F. Kennedy, a decommissioned Staten Island ferry ship that Pete Davidson and Colin Jost bought at an auction in January 2022.Public Surplus

The ship is described as being in "poor condition," and it was decommissioned due to "mechanical issues...on the propulsion end."

Put more plainly: The boat doesn't move on its own anymore.

As such, it must be towed out of the Staten Island ferry terminal on Staten Island, an NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services spokesperson told the New York Post. The trio has 10 days to collect the boat from the St. George ferry terminal.

So, what do two comedians and a real estate broker do with a decommissioned Staten Island ferry?

An image from the interior of the John F. Kennedy, a decommissioned Staten Island ferry ship that Pete Davidson and Colin Jost bought at an auction in January 2022.
Public Surplus

"The idea is to turn the space into a live entertainment event space, with comedy, music, art, etc.," Italia told the Post.

Based on the photos from the auction, which opened at $125,000, the boat will need substantial work before becoming a floating comedy club.

In the meantime, Italia plans to tow it to a local shipyard where it can be held before work begins.

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