For three decades, electrician Bill Semmer invested in waterfront property on San Carlos Island, including his passion project, Bonita Bill’s restaurant.
After Semmer’s death in January 2023, his family decided to part with some of the property, opening the door for potential redevelopment projects.
There are four parcels with a combined asking price of $20 million, said Lauri Albion, a broker with SVN Commercial Partners, which was hired by the family to sell them.
The Semmers become the latest Fort Myers Beach family to put their legacy lands on the market. The Myers family sold the almost 10-acre Red Coconut RV Park site last year for $52 million.
“It’s very difficult,” Albion said of the Semmers selling. “All of the kids grew up playing here. It’s very difficult for the family to let go of the property, because they’ve been so entrenched in the community.”
Bonita Bill’s, which first opened as a fish house in 1926, is the centerpiece and priciest of the four properties. The 0.63 acres are listed for $7.98 million. This includes an adjacent meeting space and the blue Ostego Bay Marine Science Center building and parking lot. The adjacent Dixie Fish Co. and Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille restaurants are not part of the parcel.
At 1120, 1120 and 1138 Main St., The Marina on Main has an asking price of $7.75 million for 1.8 acres. The marina, ruined by Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022, would have to be demolished and redeveloped.
“There’s 50 docks in the back of that property,” Albion said. “It has potential to be redeveloped into an absolutely beautiful project.”
At Seaside Drive, there is a site of just less than an acre that includes bay access listed for $2.14 million. It is zoned Marine Industrial and Agricultural and is currently used for outdoor storage.
And at 830 and 890 Buttonwood Drive, a 39-unit indoor self-storage facility and 0.79–acre site is being marketed at $1.3 million.
The latter two properties are adjacent to two other properties being sold by other brokers, Albion said, meaning one owner could buy all four and have a continuous development with bayfront access.
Bill Semmer also owned and operated Semmer Electric.
“These other projects were really his passions,” Albion said, meaning the marina and restaurant. “He just loved people and getting them together, having a good time.”
Of the four properties, perhaps only Bonita Bill’s could be spared by the wrecking ball, Albion said, depending on what the new owner wants to do. The buildings turn 100 years old in two years and their futures would depend on the wishes of the new owners.
In the meantime, Bonita Bill’s remains open, business as usual.
“I think that the bones are here for somebody to come in and either grow the Bonita Bill’s brand or bring in a new brand,” Albion said. “I know a lot of good people who come down here, the regulars, the tourists, the locals would like to see it remain very much as it is.”
