The Big Hickory Waterfront Grille & Marina was severely damaged by Hurricane Ian last year. The damage was so extensive that they could not rebuild under The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 50% rule. This rule states that a storm-damaged structure may be rebuilt without bringing the building up to the current building codes if the renovation cost is less than 50% of the building’s appraised value.
This gave Traci Kautzman, owner of this beloved building, only $200,000 to bring the building back to life. Traci had the option to use her own money to raise the building up on stilts and bring the building up to code, but she felt that it would take away from the original waterside charm that customers have enjoyed for 50 years.
It is also worth noting that even prior to the storm, the property they purchased in 2020 had come with some unexpected hurdles. A limited review development order was established for the property back in 2008 when the previous owner did not follow through with a permit. This made it nearly impossible for Kautzman to make the improvements she had planned for the property and obtain a full liquor license. After considering many factors, Kautzman decided to sell the property to the Bonita Springs Fire Department for $6 Million. Locals and visitors alike were sad to see this Bonita Springs staple go.
Luckily, Traci Kautzaman refused to give up. After selling the original Big Hickory Waterfront Grille & Marina property, she purchased the last 5 acres of commercially zoned waterfront property in Bonita Beach. The expansive property is located on Bonita Beach Road. It starts next to the 7-11 and goes all the way to the bridge across from Fish House.
This one-of-a-kind property will be the future site of the Hickory on The Bay, otherwise known as Big Hickory 2.0. This development will provide a new home for Big Hickory Waterfront Grille & Marina and provide some much-needed amenities for the area. Kautzman plans to open a new sweet shop concept that will sell ice cream and candy as well as bake all of the desserts for the restaurant. The development will have additional retail space where Kautzman plans to include a coffee shop and a sandwich shop.
Of course, this property comes with its own hurdles. “Unfortunately the site is located in the Bonita Beach Overlay zone which was adopted in 2019 and really only applies to 4 or 5 undeveloped sites left on Bonita Beach Road” says Traci.
“It requires all buildings to be no more than 25′ off the road and requires all parking to be behind the buildings. So, that is why we have parking along prime waterfront property, isn’t that ridiculous? It would also require us to have the restaurant closer to the road and not on the water, so this is a big variance that we are asking for.” The parking code would also require the site to have a whopping 275 parking spots, so a deviation will be asked of that requirement as well.
“We will have to go through a series of public hearings for zoning and variances to some really ridiculous setback and parking requirements, so we will need our Big Hickory Nation to show up and convince the city that Bonita needs Big Hickory back!” says Kautzman. The first Public Information Meeting will be on Monday, October 30, 2023 at 5:30 pm at St Leo’s Catholic Church. At the hearing, professionals will address any questions or concerns from the public. We ask that everyone who can come show their support or present their questions or concerns.
To stay up to date on the new Big Hickory Waterfront Grille & Marina and other projects across SWFL, subscribe to our newsletter!
