Plans to dock Pete Davidson's decommissioned Staten Island ferry at Manhattan's Pier 15 for July 4th celebrations have been officially canceled due to a failure to secure the necessary permits. The city's Economic Development Corp. informed Community Board 1 on Thursday that the proposal would not move forward for the holiday.
Community Board 1 members had expressed concerns regarding the potential impact of docking the John F. Kennedy ferry at Pier 15, located near the South Street Seaport. Tammy Meltzer, the board's chair, stated that the board prioritizes ensuring clear community benefit and protecting quality of life, emphasizing a desire to avoid privatizing public waterfront space for exclusive use.
The exact reasons for the permit denial remain unclear. Davidson and fellow SNL comedian Colin Jost, who purchased the ferry in 2021 with aspirations of transforming it into a large-scale venue featuring restaurants and bars, have not provided details on which sections would have been ready for a July 4th opening.
However, a source indicated that while the July 4th docking is off, permits might be approved for the vessel to berth at the lower Manhattan pier later in the summer. Representatives for the EDC, City Hall, and The Stand Group, a partner in the venture, did not respond to requests for comment.
The proposed docking plan had surfaced as part of a legal dispute concerning the lease between Watermark Bar and the city. The restaurant alleged that the EDC was expediting the ferry docking plan at Pier 15, potentially at the expense of existing tenants and the neighborhood.
Meltzer outlined several areas requiring clear answers before any proposal could proceed, including public safety, emergency response, infrastructure readiness, crowd management, transportation accessibility, and event permitting. She noted the complexity of the situation, as the ferry, capable of holding approximately 4,000 people, requires towing and would occupy a city-owned pier for an extended period.
Concerns were also raised by the South Street Seaport Museum, whose president and CEO, Captain Jonathan Boulware, highlighted the proximity of the 300-foot ferry to fragile, historic vessels on the neighboring Pier 16. Boulware cited the inherent risk of moving such a large vessel close to irreplaceable ships and the potential to impede the museum's daily operations, which include educational trips and visitor services.
Despite the setback for Davidson and Jost's ferry project, the cancellation means the massive vessel will not obstruct views of the 80 international ships expected to parade in New York Harbor for the July 4th bicentennial celebration. This latest obstacle adds to a series of challenges for the ferry, which has incurred significant monthly docking fees as development plans have faced difficulties, including a recent struggle to gain support from a Staten Island group for docking the vessel.