An anonymous buyer just purchased a vacant island in San Francisco Bay for $25 million, although the buyer may not be able to build on it and the plans for the island remain a mystery.
The island is known as Red Rock and measures approximately six acres. It has no electrical power, no running water, and is barren of structures, although it grants an exceptional view of San Francisco city. It’s the only private island in the San Francisco Bay and can only be accessed by boat or helicopter.
After almost a year of being up for sale, Red Rock finally came off the market in a silent transaction after a mysterious buyer bought the island for $25 million. What the anonymous buyer plans to do with the island remains unknown and is hard to predict because they will face a series of roadblocks.
The reason Red Rock was never updated with basic utilities and that no structures were ever been built on it is because it falls under three different counties’ jurisdictions, complicating the obtaining of permits. In the past, previous owners planned to build a yacht club, a 20-story hotel, and even a casino, but none of these plans ever came to fruition because the three counties have the island zoned for different purposes.
One country zoned Red Rock as a residential area, another as an industrial area, and the third as a general area.
The real estate listing agent, Chris Lim, told reporters that finalizing the sale “will be a lengthy process” and that won’t be finalized “until next year.” According to Lim, several different potential buyers, both national and international, were interested in the Red Rock and he conducted “numerous” tours of the island for the interested parties.
Lim said the various potential buyers had different visions for the island. Some wanted to develop it in one way or another, while others saw the purchase as a “unique opportunity to conserve” Red Rock in its “natural state.”
After changing hands a few times, Red Rock ended up in the possession of Brock Durning, who inherited it from his father, Mack Durning, who purchased it in 1964 with his business partner David Glickman for $49,500. He reportedly sold the island to help cover care expenses for his aging mother.
