Another red-tagged building is scheduled to be demolished. A landmark on the north end, Kona Beach Club, located at 474 Estero, is finally coming down after a three-year insurance struggle that is still not settled.
A crew is to begin emptying the units before demolition begins on or before October 16.
The two-building site with nineteen units dates back to 1971 and was the first condo built north of Times Square. With its four studio units, the building sat parallel to the beach and allowed owners and guests to step out the door and walk down to the beach sand. Each unit was marketed at $40,000.
Hurricane Ian swept the first-floor units clean and the second floor collapsed onto the first. The entire roof and all the contents from the second-floor units were washed away. All that remained was the foundation and second floor slab.
The 2-story second building opened in 1974 and sat perpendicular to the beach. Its fifteen 2B-2B units sold for $48,000. What made that building unique was the single 3rd story unit placed on the gulf end of the building.
The Kona Beach Club owner’s association is currently developing rebuilding plans to determine the costs for a new Kona Beach Club and ultimately a decision will be made to invest in that option or to put the one-acre lot up for sale.
The beach community has become quite familiar with Rose and her husband Robert Bishton. Of the19 owners they are were the only year-round residents and they’ve been living in a trailer in front of the building and Rose has beautified the sidewalk area up and Down Estero Boulevard by the building.
In this picture Rose is emptying a container of collected rainwater from under the hole in the roof above the kitchen.
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