Asbestos and cockroaches may sink the plans of Saturday Night Live comedians Pete Davidson and Colin Jost to open a nightspot aboard a retired Staten Island Ferry boat, say former crew members of the ship.
Staten Island natives Davidson and Jost joined an investor group that purchased the 310-foot ferry — the M.V. John F. Kennedy — from town for $280,000 earlier this 12 months with the thought of turning it right into a bar, restaurant and leisure venue.
“We’re going to dock it in the city and have a nice thing, or it could all go to sh*t and I’ll be doing lots and lots of gigs next year,” Davidson informed People journal in February.
Davidson, who’s not on SNL, may must name his agent to e book these gigs — turning the 57-year-old ship right into a nightspot is more likely to value tens of millions, ferry staff mentioned.
The John F. Kennedy entered service in 1965, a time when “asbestos was a common building material,” mentioned Kevin Hennessey, who captained the ship earlier than he retired final 12 months.
“As time went by and pipes and wires rot, the asbestos paneling was busted open and patched,” mentioned Hennessey. “It’s generally harmless until you grind it or drill into it.”
There’s additionally a giant cockroach drawback on the ship, which Staten Island Ferry staff mentioned is the case with all the service’s boats — however is very dangerous on the John F. Kennedy.
Many roaches had been interested in compartments beneath the ship’s seats used to retailer life jackets. “People are lazy and like to dump their trash in those,” mentioned a ferry employee who requested to not be named.
The ship’s engine room was additionally broken final 12 months from a hearth that broke out shortly earlier than the ship was taken out of service, Hennessey mentioned. By the time Jost, Davidson and the opposite buyers purchased it, the engines had been nonetheless smoking and sputtering, Hennessey mentioned.
It’s unclear how a lot it’s going to value to carry the ship right into a state of excellent restore. Paul Italia, a comedy membership proprietor who was a part of the group that purchased the boat, mentioned he acquired an estimate for work to be finished to the ship, however declined to say how a lot.
“It’s garbage information,” Italia mentioned when the Daily News requested concerning the asbestos and cockroaches that ex-ferry staff say fill his ship. He mentioned he plans to announce plans for the decommissioned ferry by the top of the 12 months.
Hennessey mentioned he was skeptical Jost and Davidson may flip the ship into an leisure venue.
“I wish these guys luck with the project, but they’re going to need some help,” mentioned Hennessey. “They had good intentions, but this was an impulse buy by two guys with a lot of money who don’t know anything about maritime vessels.”
“I’ve seen people buy vessels like this in the past with daydreams of opening up a restaurant, but then you realize it’s not connected to a sewer line, it needs ADA compliance. All kinds of stuff.”
Cortney Koenig Worrall, president of the Waterfront Alliance, a gaggle that advocates for enchancment of town’s waterfront, mentioned turning the ship right into a membership may set the stage for extra waterfront venues in New York.
“They’re definitely onto something,” mentioned Worrall. “But there are very few spaces within New York City that can accommodate a permanently anchored ship or venue like that. There’s a premium on space on land, but there’s an even higher premium on waterfront property.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”