Architect Ron Castellano revealed Pete Davidson and Colin Jost are turning their iconic New York City ferry into a $34 million party boat.
The decommissioned Staten Island Ferry will reportedly feature on-site hotel rooms, dining options and fully licensed bars, Castellano told People. The “Saturday Night Live” stars took ownership of the vessel in 2022 after purchasing the ship at auction for $280,000, but it will be completely transformed when they’re done with it. “It’s going to have a lot of things,” Castellano said about the floating event venue. “I think right now, we have six bars and two venues operated separately or combined. We have outdoor event space, we have restaurants — two restaurants.”
An aerial view of the Staten Island Ferry is seen on the Hudson river in New York City on August 5, 2021. Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images
The boat is certainly big enough to handle all the upgrades being built into it.
“It’s a big boat, almost 300 feet long, 65,000 square feet,” Castellano said.
“That’s one and a half times the size of Nine Orchard Hotel,” he told People.
The architect confirmed the renovations slated to begin on the vessel will commence soon, and spoke about Jost and Davidson’s involvement in the major project.
Pete Davidson attends Paramount’s “Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts” premiere at Kings Theatre on June 05, 2023 in New York City. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Colin Jost attends the American Museum of Natural History Gala on November 21, 2019 in New York City. – A retired, hulking ferry of the iconic line linking Staten Island and Manhattan has been purchased by a group of investors who include popular American comedians Pete Davidson and Colin Jost.
Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
“They have input. They see everything. We have meetings as needed, sometimes twice a week, sometimes every three months,” he said.
“Right now, honestly, I’m trying to get the design work done as fast as possible.”
Castellano said there will be a number of amenities for passengers to enjoy aboard the ship, including 24 hotel rooms that will be located on the fifth level of the ship. The rooms will feature their own private sundecks, but he stopped short of promising a pool.
Actor Colin Jost arrives at Hilarity for Charity’s Third Annual New York City Variety Show at Webster Hall on June 8, 2017 in New York City. Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Hilarity for Charity
Pete Davidson attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
“A pool is something that keeps coming up. We’re going back and forth,” he told Curbed.
“There’s a little Jacuzzi kind of thing, but not a full-on pool. We’d have to do a floating pool.”
Castellano said the famous comedians plan to tow the barge back and forth between New York and Miami. Jost and Davidson co-own the vessel alongside “The Stand” comedy club owner, Paul Italia.
“We have sort of the initial construction phase underway, like, we’re just bidding it out as it gets done,” Castellano said. (RELATED: Rebel Wilson Exposes Celebrity Who Allegedly Threatened To Silence Her)
“That’s going to take a year, and as that happens, we’re tightening the drawings, and as that’s happening, we’re going to find the location,” he said, according to People.