Outrigger Beach Resort, Charley’s Boat House Grill sold for $38M to London Bay
The Outrigger Beach Resort, one of the longest continuously-running hotels on Fort Myers Beach, sold Tuesday along with Charley’s Boat House Grill & Wine Bar for $38.2 million, co-owner Dana Gosford confirmed.
The purchaser was Naples-based developers London Bay, which is building the Grandview at Bay Beach condo tower on the south end of the island.
The Outrigger Resort was hit hard by Hurricane Ian and would have had to been built above the 50% rule, Gosford said. Her father Dan Reinfried purchased the hotel property in 1967 and built the Outrigger along with several other investors including Ray Joeckel, Dave Fagerness and Malcolm Young. The properties were run under Colorado Southern Inc.
The 152-room hotel at 6200 Estero Blvd. was constructed on property overlooking the Gulf of Mexico that also included the former Rancho Del Mar Cottages. The cottages had the oldest motel pool on the island, Gosford said. Across the street was Charley’s Boat House Grill & Wine Bar, which had just undergone a major renovation three years before Hurricane Ian destroyed the building. That parcel was acquired by Gosford’s family and business partners in 1973.
The Outrigger Resort hosted a longstanding popular New Year’s Day tradition known as the Polar Plunge, which raised money for goodwill efforts before the covid pandemic. Dozens of participants would walk and dive into the Gulf of Mexico after walking from the Outrigger Resort’s pool area and tiki bar onto its iconic, expansive white beach sand and into the water. The resort property had one of the most well-regarded beachfront areas of the island.
Gosford and her family’s business partners recently sold Shucker’s at the Gulfshore and Cottage Bar. Gosford’s father Dan Reinfried had purchased that property along with business partners Wakynn Ferris and Malcolm Young in the early 1970’s.
“It’s just been so emotional really on all these projects that I’ve grown up with,” Ms. Gosford said. “I’m just so sad for the community. I would like to thank all our loyal customers.”
Gosford said the Outrigger “didn’t look bad and didn’t look bad from the street but once we got in there we knew we were in for a tear-down.”
Growing up on Fort Myers Beach, Gosford said she had “wonderful memories” of the Outrigger. “We use to live at the Gullwing (Beach Resort) and would walk up to the beach. My dad would be working there. I learned to swim in that pool and worked there on the weekends.” Gosford worked in the office, cleaning rooms and doing the laundry.
Gosford said it was a unique time growing up on Fort Myers Beach with her family and going to the Outrigger Beach Resort in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
“It was like our second home,” Gosford said. “There were very few hotels there on the island at the time.”
“Our general manager that we had for 25 years, Jeanne Bigos, she really kept things very special there. She had a way with things,” Gosford said.
Mark Wilson, president and CEO of London Bay, said the company is currently considering plans for a mixed hotel and condo development with a restaurant. Wilson said he has spoken with town councilmembers and elicited feedback from the community.
Wilson said he has heard from those who “want a bar where residents can still enjoy cocktails and sunsets like they used to.”
The Outrigger was known for its tiki bar in the pool area.
“It’s one of the most important beach parcels. The beach there is pretty amazing,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the developers wanted a nice-size canvas” to build on.
Wilson said the same expansive view of the beach will remain as the buildable area on the beach-side parcel is limited to the area where the hotel is. The developers will not be encroaching any further onto the beach, Wilson said.
“The beach will remain as expansive as it is,” Wilson said. “The sunsets are really remarkable.”
Wilson said they will be reaching out to the community for feedback.
“We want a design that the community can be proud of for decades,” Wilson said.
“We understand the Outrigger Beach Resort and Charley’s restaurant were beloved institutions on the island and are committed to honoring their legacy while creating an elevated experience for Fort Myers Beach residents and visitors alike.”
London Bay Development Group is in the early stages of design and planning for its development plans at the properties, Wilson said.
Wilson said he “looks forward to conversations with Fort Myers Beach residents, community and business leaders about the future for these important locations. Community members will have ample opportunities to provide feedback throughout this process.
“We know how difficult the last 10 months have been for Fort Myers Beach. We are honored to play a role in rebuilding this vibrant town and the opportunity to create a place that individuals can enjoy for years to come,” Wilson said.
As for the Grandview, Wilson said the condo tower is expected to open for occupancy in late August and early September. He said the damage from Hurricane Ian was largely limited to the first floor.
For Jim and Judi VerHoef, of Oklahoma, the sale of the Outrigger means the loss of one of their most favorite places.
“We have been coming in January and February for the past 23 years. The Outrigger was truly our favorite place in the whole world,” the couple said in an email.
Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers said “I have met with them (London Bay), but they have not made any proposals or shown me any renderings of what they are looking to do. I just want to congratulate them on their purchase, and I look forward to working with them on their future development. Outrigger was an iconic part of our history and I’m confident they will embrace that as they talk with our residents.”
Former Fort Myers Beach Mayor Anita Cereceda, who chairs the Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency, said “There’s not an islander around who hasn’t spent a great evening at the tiki hut on the beach at the Outrigger or dining with friends at Charlie’s Boathouse. The Outrigger was an iconic part of our community. I’d like to thank all the employees, that over the years, made us feel at home at The Outrigger. It was very much ‘our place to meet.'”
Former Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy said in an email that “The Outrigger & Charley’s Boathouse (FNA Charley Brown’s) entertained people from all over the country and the world, not to mention all of us who have lived here on the Beach over the years. Countless memories were made there and it was truly a great destination on Fort Myers Beach. I’m sure I can speak for everyone who has ever stayed there, had a drink at the tiki bar, enjoyed the beautiful beach or passed through the salad bar at Charley’s that this property is, and will forever be, sorely missed. My only hope is that the iconic businesses that we have lost will be replaced by new ones that future visitors and locals will come to enjoy and create new memories for generations to come.”
Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg can be reached at Nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com