That’s a lot of money for a chunk of rock — there’s only so much on 5.8 acres. A rocky mass rises approximately 175 feet above the water, crowned by trees and with a tranquil beach to the northeast.
Chris Lim, global ambassador for Christie’s International Real Estate, who is representing the property, told SFGATE that apart from more traditional development opportunities, other private islands offer fresh water access to private islands like this. He said he is constructing a solar system and a solar panel system. He said the seller had received many unsolicited offers in the past, including a 2010 offer for a wind farm, as well as “princes and high-ranking officials” seeking possession of “collectible real estate.”
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The current owner, Brock Durning, has lived in Alaska for decades and inherited the property from his father, but he has not visited the island recently and is financially able to care for his elderly mother. He told Christie’s that he had decided to sell the property in order to do so.
Owning a private island in the bay may sound great, but it comes with a lot of baggage. First, development would have to go through three levels of bureaucracy, as 4.1 acres of the island are located in Contra Costa County, 0.09 acres in Marin, and the remaining 1.58 acres in San Francisco. The City of Richmond is likely to endure the consequences of construction and has organized to oppose construction in the past. Private homes are a more likely option, given that owners can build only on Contra Costa land, avoiding interaction with other counties. Even if approved, it would likely take years, if not decades, to complete because much of the island is not level.
Red Rock Island is a place with a strange and twisted history. Some of the earliest known residents of the island included Russian fur traders, but the first recorded resident was the son of the famous poet Samuel Woodworth. Former California State Senator Selim Woodworth, who reportedly planted a flag and built a small cabin in which he lived in the 1850s. .
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After Woodsworth failed to settle the island, the manganese-rich land became sought after by miners, and mining tunnels still remain on the island today. After passing through several owners in the early to mid-1900s, other ambitious entrepreneurs had big plans for the rocky outcrop. But none of the private residences, yacht harbor, botanical garden, billboards, casino, restaurant and hotel, or his 25-story tower will ever come to fruition.
As a result, it has been frequently put up for sale over the past few decades, although mostly unofficially, and never fetched a fair price. It was published in a newspaper advertisement in 1955 with no price listed. It was listed in 1979 for $1.5 million. It was even reported that notorious former Oregon commune leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was once planning to buy the island before he was ousted in 1985.
It was listed for $10 million in 2001, but the price was later reduced to $6 million. It was last listed for sale in 2015 for $5 million.
Another Bay Area island listed for $75 million earlier this year may be up for sale for very specific reasons.
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