A hush-hush plan to park the retired Staten Island ferry John F. Kennedy at Pier 15 in the South Street Seaport during the FIFA World Cup has neighborhood leaders sounding the alarm. The vessel, which is owned by Saturday Night Live alums Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, would be turned into a multi-deck entertainment venue, according to people familiar with the pitch. Neighbors say the idea was floated quietly and that the timeline feels unusually tight, given the ship’s condition and the historic character of the seaport.
As reported by the New York Daily News, the proposal is reportedly being fast-tracked to sync with World Cup events and comes with a design rendering that shows the powerless ferry tied along the north side of Pier 15. Representatives for the ferry group and City Hall did not respond to requests for comment about the under-the-radar pitch, according to the Daily News.
The John F. Kennedy was sold at auction in January 2022 to a group that included Paul Italia, Colin Jost and Pete Davidson for roughly $280,000, and the owners have long talked about converting the 1965 vessel into a floating venue, according to The New York Times. The ship was towed to Manhattan in September 2024 for a Tommy Hilfiger fashion presentation, giving New Yorkers an early look at how the boat might be used as an event platform.
Museum Says Ferry Would Overwhelm Historic Ships
Jonathan Boulware, president and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum, told the Daily News he “vigorously opposes” the plan, arguing that the hulking ferry would dwarf and overwhelm the museum’s historic vessels and clash with the low-rise, maritime character of the district. The museum’s concerns center on scale, sight lines and the potential impact on the museum ships that form the core of the Seaport's collection, the New York Daily News reported.
Community Board To Weigh The Proposal Next Week
Manhattan Community Board 1 chair Tammy Meltzer says the ferry team first reached out last month and has been invited to present to the board’s executive committee next Thursday, June 18. Meltzer told the Daily News that the owners' materials list the vessel’s stated capacity at about 3,500 passengers and suggest it “could hold up to 5,000” for events, numbers that have raised eyebrows among some neighbors.
The timing is touchy because New York is already gearing up for the FIFA World Cup and a crush of high-profile public events, from fan zones to tweaked transit and security plans. NY1 has reported that city and state agencies are coordinating for what is expected to be an unusually busy summer. According to the Daily News, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is reportedly supportive of a quick berth at the seaport to line up with the tournament, though that has not been confirmed by the mayor’s office.
Even if the owners secure a spot at Pier 15, turning a decommissioned ferry into a six-deck public venue would trigger Coast Guard inspections, docking agreements, neighborhood reviews and significant mechanical work. Earlier reporting in The New York Times has detailed the expense and legal headaches that can accompany repurposing a vessel of this age, including disputes over towing and docking fees.
What happens next will likely hinge on Community Board 1’s executive committee meeting on Thursday, June 18, when the ferry team is expected to present designs and a timeline. If the board, the Seaport Museum or elected officials push for changes, the rushed World Cup schedule could run straight into a slower approval process, and the John F. Kennedy could end up tied up somewhere other than Pier 15.
