Chris Lim stepped across the craggy, narrow shoreline of the Bay Area’s only privately owned island, flanked by scenic vistas from every angle, pondering the many possibilities of such a strange and unique land mass in view of thousands of bridge commuters each day.
“I think one of the great things about Red Rock Island is it’s a bit of a puzzle,” said Lim, a real estate agent with Christie’s International Reality who is handling the sale of Red Rock Island.
Sitting within a long outfield throw of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and straddling the counties of Marin, San Francisco and Contra Costa — Red Rock is an enigma. At less than six acres, its tricky topography has inspired countless development ideas yet little action.
A real estate attorney acquired the property in 1964 for $50,000 and, in a wager with his former business partner, decided the last of the two to survive got the island. Since then, potential development ideas have included a destination hotel, a boat marina, a wildlife conservation area, a wedding chapel, and maybe even a Playboy mansion.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
In the end, the family did some camping with their kids years ago — and haven’t stepped on the island in at least two decades.
Lim is seeking the next steward of Red Rock, who will have to pony-up $25 million for the honor. Whether that person will continue the laissez-faire approach of its current owner or seek to develop it is all in the realm of possibility. If the latter is the path, it will be expensive and complicated — the island is only accessible by boat or helicopter.
“You know, I think that’s what’s exciting about an island,” said Lim. “It could be anyone.”
Local
On a recent day, Lim, a group of journalists and a pair of Miami real estate agents representing prospective buyers boarded a small inflatable powerboat bound for a tour of the island — pulling onto the rocky shore like infantry landing on Omaha Beach. Because of one-time manganese mining, the island is covered in brick-colored rocks — inspiring its name Red Rock. Its varied topography seems to reflect Northern California itself.
“It’s a very diverse terrain, similar to Northern California,” said Lim. “We’ve got some rocky areas — we’ve got some hillside here with a mountain top.”
Along the northern edge, the small beach revealed evidence of public visits — a discarded beer can, a fire ring arranged from stones, a blown-out shoe.
There’s even a veiled reference to the island in Dave Eggers' book "The Circle," in which a tech worker swipes a kayak and visits an abandoned Bay Area island — suggesting its mysterious presence tucked away in the middle of multiple urban centers.
“You drive over the Richmond Bridge and everyone knows this island,” said Michelle Balog, a Christie’s agent who is also working on the sale. “I’ve always thought it had so much history and drama, and I always wondered what it was.”
It’s a sentiment surely shared by the thousands of commuters who cross the bridge each day with the island prominently in view outside the car window. Those commuters will have a ringside seat should its next owner decide to develop.
Aside from occasional camping, the island hasn’t been inhabited since the 1850s when its first owner built a cabin and created a hunting preserve. The island came up for sale multiple times in the past couple decades — but its current sale is its first time on the multiple listing service.
The opinions of what should happen with Red Rock are diverse as the communities that live around it. And yet there seems to be a singular description that most would agree on whether they’ve stepped on the island or not.
“Yeah,” said Lim. “It’s pretty special.”
