Photo: Kim Tunnicliffe (WBZ NewsRadio)
SWANSEA, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Businessman Ernie Boch Jr. is the new owner of Pleasure Island in Swansea, the billionaire announced Tuesday.
The 64-year-old auto magnate originally bought the 4.25 acre island for $850,000 in June, days before it was set to go up for auction.
Situated a few hundred feet off the mainland near Ocean Grove Avenue, Pleasure Island was once used as a venue for weddings, parties, and picnics. It has been closed for over a decade, the property falling into disrepair.
Boch intends to give the island a full makeover, including fixing the dilapidated bridge that connects it to the mainland. He also wants to give it a new name.
"I don't know, maybe SNE Island -- Subaru of New England. Ernie's Place, I don't know," Boch told WBZ.
Boch also does not want to reopen Pleasure Island as a wedding venue, instead opting for a quieter use of the space that the public can enjoy.
"From what I understand, they had some problems of it being loud. And I don’t want to do that. I want the buy-in from the neighborhoods, the buy-in from the town," said Boch.
WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) has more.
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