The words “private island” conjure up images of mai tais, palm trees, and secluded afternoons on white sand beaches.
Red Rock Island is not that kind of island.
This is a 6-acre dome-shaped outcrop that is difficult to reach and even more difficult to explore. The vegetation is sparse and consists of craggy shrubs, pines, and poison oak thickets. Its beaches are rocky and the cliffs are steep.
Forget about Mai Tais. The island has no bars, boardwalks, drinking water, electricity, or any other structures of any kind. You can take a private boat, but there is no dock. You can fly a helicopter there, but there are no landing pads.
Pay $25 million and it’s all yours.
“We believe this is like owning a Leonardo da Vinci or a Rothko,” said Chris Lim, a San Francisco real estate broker who is representing the seller. “This is something someone would want to have in their portfolio, like art or sculpture.”
Nearby islands became famous. Alcatraz Island, once a federal prison that housed serious criminals, is known as “The Rock.” Some islands are open for recreational purposes, like Angel Island, a former military outpost and immigration center that is now a state park.
But Red Rock Island, the only private island in San Francisco Bay, is more than just a curiosity for Northern Californians, who are curious about the red spot and occasionally visit by kayak or canoe.
The dream of island ownership has long captured the imagination of the rich and famous. Private island owners include celebrities such as Richard Branson, Johnny Depp, and George Clooney. Private Islands Co., Ltd.a real estate website, lists 607 properties on the market or recently sold, 116 of which are in the United States.
Chris Krolow, the website’s CEO, said most buyers are American business owners who already own a number of homes and want a new, enviable project.
“Americans like ownership. They’re proud of it,” said Crolleau, a Canadian himself who owns 13 islands in Canada, Belize and Fiji. “The idea of owning your own island really fits the American entrepreneurial spirit.”
Mr. Lim wants to find a millionaire who has run out of other distinctive items to buy. And in San Francisco Bay, the heart of one of the world’s wealthiest regions, he has just one island for sale. ( Altrata Billionaire Census There are 84 billionaires living in San Francisco this year, second only to New York City and Hong Kong).
However, owning an island can come with some frustrations. New York pathologist Albert Sutton once purchased two islands in Long Island Sound, less than an hour north of Manhattan. “I was being cocky,” he told the Times in 2019, noting that the $8 million he poured into improvements such as solar panels and a desalination plant was a pittance compared to the cost of the island itself. . Mr Crollo said Mr Sutton had since passed away and his family was unable to sell the island, despite significantly lowering the asking price.
Nevertheless, Red Rock has attracted some interest. Two real estate agents recently flew in from Miami and arrived on the island on a private boat to scout a billionaire client.
“There’s nothing like it,” said Suzanne Santos, one of the Miami agents. “It’s close to everything, but remote and secluded. It’s unusual.”
“This is a reconnaissance mission,” she explained.
Visitors were advised to wear rain boots, as there is no anchorage for boats and reaching the island requires walking and hopping to the beach, an unpredictable distance depending on the tides. .
When I arrived at the beach, which was dotted with washed-up trash and misplaced shoes, I could see the Chevron refinery on my right, San Quentin Prison on my left, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge straight ahead.
Around a bend, after stumbling over logs and rocks, they could see the cranes of Oakland Harbor, the San Francisco skyline, the sun glinting over the bay, and seagulls flying overhead.
The top of the island is even more mysterious. There is no gravel path to climb and no rope to hold on to. The slope is so steep that anyone who tries to climb it tends to slip down, leaving behind only a scraped hand covered in red dust.
But those who reach the top can discover beautiful panoramic views of the bay, said James Martin, who took the photo for the 2006 Coffee Table Book. “Islands of San Francisco Bay” And he succeeded in climbing to the top three times. With his $25 million and additional wealth needed to develop the island, he said, it’s not hard to imagine a peaceful retreat there.
Decades before the gold rush drew wealth seekers west, Red Rock was home to Russian fur traders who plundered the sea otter population in the early 1800s. Selim Woodworth, a U.S. Navy commander and state senator, later built a cabin there, but it no longer exists.
In the late 1800s, the island was used to mine manganese, which gave the red rock its name, as a pigment in paints. Two mining tunnels can still be seen on the island.
Although the chain of ownership is complex and unclear, some facts are certain. Attorney David Glickman purchased the island in 1964 for his $49,500. After moving to Thailand to work in the jewelry business, he gave ownership to his business partner. Mac Durning. When Durning passed away in 2012, his son Brock Durning, who now lives in Alaska, took over.
The younger Mr. Durning spent his childhood growing up in the East Bay camping and hiking on the island, but he hasn’t set foot on his private island in years. Mr Lim said he now wants to sell it to earn money to care for his sick mother.
He and previous owners had previously tried to sell Red Rock without success. The most famous purchase candidate is Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, the guru whose followers intentionally contaminated a salad bar with salmonella in an Oregon commune in the 1980s in hopes of influencing county elections. . Rajneesh left the United States in 1985, before the island purchase was finalized, as part of a plea deal on immigration fraud charges.
Lim said three potential buyers have so far made inquiries, including a Miami-based billionaire and two local residents.
And what will the next owner do with Red Rock? Lim provided Brock Durning’s long-held drawings, which depict a boat harbor and helipad, as well as a botanical garden, teahouse and restaurant. At the top? wedding chapel. Other ideas include hotels, residences, and even a Playboy club.
Krolow said he has seen Red Rock Island come and go on the market for about 20 years, with prices fluctuating between a low of $5 million and a current high of $25 million. He said he is doing so.
He is not optimistic. He believes development is impossible given Bay Area residents’ deep opposition to any development proposal. Red Rock has the added complication of being located in three different counties that intersect within the bay.
“We call them decorative islands,” Krolow said. “It looks very nice and attracts attention, but it doesn’t sell.”
Sejal Choksi-Chugu, executive director of an environmental nonprofit organization san francisco baykeepersaid he hopes none of his development ideas ever come to fruition. She believes the island should literally go to the birds and become a sanctuary for seagulls, herons and cormorants.
“I’m against some wealthy billionaire buying it just to show off,” she said. “It seems like a pointless exercise.”