Big Hickory Waterfront Grille and Marina is officially back on the market after being sold to the Bonita Springs Fire Department earlier this year.
Big Hickory Waterfront Grille and Marina
Beloved by locals and tourists alike, the restaurant and marina suffered severe damage during Hurricane Ian, and the previous owners were faced with two choices: to rebuild up to the new building codes, which would require elevating the entire building, or sell. With an estimated rebuild cost of around $5 million, the owners decided to sell the property to an unlikely buyer: The Bonita Springs Fire Department. The Fire Department had long operated a station from one of the buildings on the property and used the marina to keep their boat, so they jumped at the opportunity to purchase the property. They closed on the property in January of this year to the tune of $5.995 million.
Now, 8 months after closing, The Fire Department has re-listed the waterfront property for sale with Trinity Commercial Group. While an exact price isn’t being listed, the listing agents say it is open for bidding which will likely last for 40 days.
Trinity Commercial Group and The City of Bonita Springs will be reviewing offers and vetting the potential buyers. The goal is to sell the property for at least what the Fire Department paid so that the profits can be invested back into the community. According to the city, the ideal situation would be something with a restaurant on the bottom floor, so most proposals will likely include that, whether it’s a hotel, condo, or standalone restaurant.
In the meantime, the Fire Department has contracted with West Coast Inland Navigation District to repair the marina. Due to their great relationship, WCIND agreed to cover the $70,000 cost of renovating the marina.
The Bonita Springs Fire Department will ultimately retain rights to the entire 24-slip marina, but will allow the new business to use almost all of the slips. The Fire Department just needs two of the slips: one for their boat and another as a refueling station for either North Collier Fire Rescue District or Estero Fire Rescue.
