Private island near San Francisco is looking for a buyer

Red Rock Island is the only private island in the bay and is particularly attractive. San Francisconot because of this. The rugged red rocks offer not only views of the luxurious Belvedere Island in Northern California and the San Francisco skyline, but also the sound of the Richmond Bridge, over which more than 80,000 vehicles pass each day. Instead of a sandy beach, the nearly 2.5-hectare island is covered in coarse pebbles. There are no electrical or gas connections, but there are countless seagulls.

“Red Rock is a little bit of an ugly island,” its former owner, the late gem dealer David Glickman, admitted in 2007. Nor was it a good retreat for a wealthy buyer. “It’s not your typical palm tree island,” he told National Public Radio at the time. Glickman bought Red Rock on a whim in the mid-1960s for less than $50,000. Dollar The lawyer, who was keen on unusual real estate, planned to demolish part of the approximately 60-meter-high rock and build on it. Today, no one knows why his plans to build a clubhouse, residential complex or hotel fell through.

Glickman eventually moved to Thailand to work in the gem trade. island He left it to his California business partner Mack Durning, who camped there with his sons in the summer. The now-deceased businessman has been trying to sell the island for decades without success. Now, his son Brock is trying to sell the slowly developing US private island for $25 million.

“I like a challenge,” Christopher Lim, an agent at Christie’s International in San Francisco, told CBS. He represents Durning, who has lived in Alaska for many years, and has been looking for a buyer for Red Rock Island since the beginning of winter. After several visits from interested parties in New York and Miami, Lim has now reportedly found a potential buyer. According to the real estate website Zillow, he has been negotiating the details of the sale since mid-July. The future owner remains a mystery, as is what he plans to do with Red Rock. In any case, he will need more luck and money than his predecessors.

The island’s first known inhabitant was former California Senator Selim Woodworth, son of writer Samuel Woodworth, who unsuccessfully attempted to register as an island owner in the mid-19th century. The U.S. government denied his request under the Homestead Act: in the event of war, perhaps the nation would have to be defended from Red Rock Island. Mines were then dug in the rock to extract manganese.

Arthur Riehl, then-San Francisco police chief, was registered as the island’s first owner 100 years ago. When his hopes for precious minerals faded, the family left the island to real estate investor Alex Wilson in 1948. He never thought beyond that, either. His plans to build a wedding chapel, a marina and a helipad fell through.

Before Wilson’s son and partner rented Red Rock Island as space for a giant billboard, Glickman bought the rock in 1964 and gave it to his friend De Nin before moving to Bangkok. About 20 years later, the businessman almost sold it to a well-known figure. Bhagwan Shree Rajnesh, the founder of the cult that bears his name, also known as the Sex Guru, wanted to move to the rock with his followers from Oregon in 1985. Shortly before the purchase agreement was signed, “Bhagwan” was expelled from the United States.

Deneen’s son Brock’s first attempt to sell the only private island in San Francisco Bay in 2015 also failed. When no buyer was found at a price of $10 million, the family cut the amount in half. However, no buyer was found like Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who owns about 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai. This situation is said to have deterred many interested parties. The rock belongs to three districts. Real estate agent Lim is currently negotiating with the possible future owner, who will not only need $25 million, but also a lot of patience to negotiate with Marin County, Contra Costa County, and San Francisco County authorities before building the property.