Who would want to sink their money into this "investment?" Tallk about being underwater. :roll: Gives new meaning to the term "Flippers."
Floating condos in Destin?
David Nelson wants to bring more condominiums to Destin, but this developer intends to do so without changing the skyline or breaking ground on beachfront land.
In fact, the condos will come and go in the amount of time it takes to drop anchor and walk off the deck to reel in a good catch, take in a round of golf and get a haircut before moving on to the next stop along the route where every bend in the river leads to home.
Home in this case is a "floating condominium" in a new "floating community" called River Cities.
"It's an absolute antidote to boredom," Nelson said.
The concept came to Nelson through a combination of 29 years as a contractor in the residential, commercial and marine construction industries, 30 years of boating experience and 19 years of living aboard a house boat on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minn.
The prototype of Nelson's design, The Marquette, will be under construction after a couple of shipyards in Louisiana complete the bidding process to determine who is going to build the 600-foot-by-108-foot vessel.
"We're not going to be floating for two years," Nelson said. "We hope to start construction in the summer."
Nelson plans to have 90 percent of up to 200 units sold before construction begins.
To reach his goal, Nelson is marketing the new lifestyle by visiting targeted port cities and making presentations on what life aboard a floating condominium community is all about.
So who might a mobile community appeal to?
"My baby boom generation is looking for things to do," he said.
Baby boomers that are typically retired and looking for adventure in life or someone who makes their living with a home-based business can now live and work on a 10,700 mile annual cruise route.
The Marquette will be like a small self-contained community with restaurants, lounges, a deli and grocery store, spas, pools, fitness gym, walking track and the "world's only" floating 18 hole chipping putting golf course. Residents will be able to have small pets and satellite hook-up with high speed Internet and Wi-Fi. Once at dock, River Cities' residents will have access to shuttle service and have rental cars.
Ownership options include full-time, half-time and two month options for those who are looking for more of a second or vacation home.
While floating, residents will still get their mail two or three times a week from an address in Houston. And living aboard a floating vessel there are no property taxes to be paid.
Nelson said that the "whole coast all the way down to Apalachicola is a prime stop" and Destin fits in well as a stopping point because there is waterfront development with restaurants and shops.
"It's such a win-win situation, because our people not only want to see the cities," he said. "They want to get off the boat and see the sights and go to the restaurants and play on the golf courses."
He added that since Destin is a town built around its harbor-side heritage, it could be another attraction to watch the boat pull in and out of the harbor. He hopes that everyone would come out to see them off.
A possible snag in Nelson's plan is that he hopes to navigate the floating community through the often treacherous East Pass and park The Marquette in the Destin harbor. Another hurdle is how well the concept will be received locally and mesh with visions for the harbor.
"I'm not sure that it does. Our concentration on the harbor is a festive marketplace and the continuous boardwalk, as far as the Chamber and the Harbor Association are concerned," said Shane Moody, president and CEO of the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce.
The boat has been designed around four barges that latch together, making it possible for the massive vessel to split apart down the middle when navigating the Intracoastal Waterways.
Nelson said that the vessel should be able to navigate in the narrow harbor with a Z-drive, a type of highly maneuverable azimuth thruster. Propellers are fixed on rotating pods that can be moved in any desired direction, making a rudder unnecessary.
"What this means is that we don't need tugboats to move us around," he said. "We will have pinpoint accuracy."
At first glance, Shane Moody, is not sure how The Marquette would fit in the harbor.
"I don't know if our harbor is big enough," he said. "There is talk of other marinas being built in the harbor, but it is already so packed in there and people are opposing them."
Nelson said that the Marquette would have to enter Destin's harbor in two pieces and hopefully be able to join the two sides back together once inside.
"In all of my travels along the river, I have not seen a place where people will catch more fish," he said.
That is just one of the reasons he hopes that the idea is a hit with the Destin community. He anticipates that the boat will be at dock 90 to 95 percent of the time and that Destin businesses will be able to reap the benefits of having their residents as patrons of the community during their visits.
So how much does this lifestyle cost?
Like condominiums on land, The Marquette will have a homeowners' association that collects a monthly fee that will pay for fuel and salaries that keep the floating community running.
Nelson said that owners of smaller units can expect to pay $1,200 a month and those who own a "comfortable two bedroom" will pay $2,000 a month to the association.
The condominiums are priced anywhere from $55,000 to $1.8 million.
Moody said that it is an "interesting concept," but that the timing is probably a little off because of the down real estate and condo market.
But Nelson's dream endures and he will be in Destin on Saturday to introduce The Marquette and the live-aboard lifestyle to those who are curious or interested in ownership. He will be in the Charter Room at the Emerald Grande at 10 a.m. <
Snacks???>
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Proof positive that RE hasn't hit bottom yet....what a moron.
.
Floating condos in Destin?
David Nelson wants to bring more condominiums to Destin, but this developer intends to do so without changing the skyline or breaking ground on beachfront land.
In fact, the condos will come and go in the amount of time it takes to drop anchor and walk off the deck to reel in a good catch, take in a round of golf and get a haircut before moving on to the next stop along the route where every bend in the river leads to home.
Home in this case is a "floating condominium" in a new "floating community" called River Cities.
"It's an absolute antidote to boredom," Nelson said.
The concept came to Nelson through a combination of 29 years as a contractor in the residential, commercial and marine construction industries, 30 years of boating experience and 19 years of living aboard a house boat on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minn.
The prototype of Nelson's design, The Marquette, will be under construction after a couple of shipyards in Louisiana complete the bidding process to determine who is going to build the 600-foot-by-108-foot vessel.
"We're not going to be floating for two years," Nelson said. "We hope to start construction in the summer."
Nelson plans to have 90 percent of up to 200 units sold before construction begins.
To reach his goal, Nelson is marketing the new lifestyle by visiting targeted port cities and making presentations on what life aboard a floating condominium community is all about.So who might a mobile community appeal to?
"My baby boom generation is looking for things to do," he said.
Baby boomers that are typically retired and looking for adventure in life or someone who makes their living with a home-based business can now live and work on a 10,700 mile annual cruise route.
The Marquette will be like a small self-contained community with restaurants, lounges, a deli and grocery store, spas, pools, fitness gym, walking track and the "world's only" floating 18 hole chipping putting golf course. Residents will be able to have small pets and satellite hook-up with high speed Internet and Wi-Fi. Once at dock, River Cities' residents will have access to shuttle service and have rental cars.
Ownership options include full-time, half-time and two month options for those who are looking for more of a second or vacation home.
While floating, residents will still get their mail two or three times a week from an address in Houston. And living aboard a floating vessel there are no property taxes to be paid.
Nelson said that the "whole coast all the way down to Apalachicola is a prime stop" and Destin fits in well as a stopping point because there is waterfront development with restaurants and shops.
"It's such a win-win situation, because our people not only want to see the cities," he said. "They want to get off the boat and see the sights and go to the restaurants and play on the golf courses."
He added that since Destin is a town built around its harbor-side heritage, it could be another attraction to watch the boat pull in and out of the harbor. He hopes that everyone would come out to see them off.
A possible snag in Nelson's plan is that he hopes to navigate the floating community through the often treacherous East Pass and park The Marquette in the Destin harbor. Another hurdle is how well the concept will be received locally and mesh with visions for the harbor.
"I'm not sure that it does. Our concentration on the harbor is a festive marketplace and the continuous boardwalk, as far as the Chamber and the Harbor Association are concerned," said Shane Moody, president and CEO of the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce.
The boat has been designed around four barges that latch together, making it possible for the massive vessel to split apart down the middle when navigating the Intracoastal Waterways.
Nelson said that the vessel should be able to navigate in the narrow harbor with a Z-drive, a type of highly maneuverable azimuth thruster. Propellers are fixed on rotating pods that can be moved in any desired direction, making a rudder unnecessary.
"What this means is that we don't need tugboats to move us around," he said. "We will have pinpoint accuracy."
At first glance, Shane Moody, is not sure how The Marquette would fit in the harbor.
"I don't know if our harbor is big enough," he said. "There is talk of other marinas being built in the harbor, but it is already so packed in there and people are opposing them."
Nelson said that the Marquette would have to enter Destin's harbor in two pieces and hopefully be able to join the two sides back together once inside.
"In all of my travels along the river, I have not seen a place where people will catch more fish," he said.
That is just one of the reasons he hopes that the idea is a hit with the Destin community. He anticipates that the boat will be at dock 90 to 95 percent of the time and that Destin businesses will be able to reap the benefits of having their residents as patrons of the community during their visits.
So how much does this lifestyle cost?
Like condominiums on land, The Marquette will have a homeowners' association that collects a monthly fee that will pay for fuel and salaries that keep the floating community running.
Nelson said that owners of smaller units can expect to pay $1,200 a month and those who own a "comfortable two bedroom" will pay $2,000 a month to the association.
The condominiums are priced anywhere from $55,000 to $1.8 million.
Moody said that it is an "interesting concept," but that the timing is probably a little off because of the down real estate and condo market.
But Nelson's dream endures and he will be in Destin on Saturday to introduce The Marquette and the live-aboard lifestyle to those who are curious or interested in ownership. He will be in the Charter Room at the Emerald Grande at 10 a.m. <
Snacks???>--------------------------------------
Proof positive that RE hasn't hit bottom yet....what a moron.
.
