Swansea's Pleasure Island to be auctioned on Thursday

SWANSEA — Ever wanted to own an island? Thursday could be your chance, as Swansea’s Pleasure Island will up for auction.

The 4.25-acre island, situated a few hundred feet off the mainland near Ocean Grove Avenue, was used for years as a venue for events like weddings, parties and picnics. It has been closed for more than a decade, with the property fenced off and its five buildings unoccupied.

The island has a complicated past, with a dispute over ownership ending up in court in 2012. Another dispute in the early 2000s involved its then-property manager taking a lie detector test to back up his claim that then-Board of Selectmen Chairman Ronald J. Ramos was retaliating against him and his company for not giving Ramos’ daughter a job.

There are also concerns that the narrow wooden bridge connecting the island to the mainland is unsafe.

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Local restaurant owner Al Monte recently sought to redevelop the island into a family fun destination. But, his efforts came to an end when the 2020 Town Meeting voters failed to pass an article by the needed two thirds majority that would have rezoned the island into an entirely commercial zone. Currently, is it a mixture of commercial and residential zones. The failed vote voided a purchase and sale agreement Monte had with the island’s current owner, Edward Costa and Costa Management LLC.

Now, the island will be up for auction, with an auction planned at the site itself for 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 2.

Audrey Cooney can be reached at acooney@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: Swansea's Pleasure Island to be auctioned on Thursday