Following the events of 2015, and the list of over 100 major issues for Summers End to address, the project made no apparent headway in the federal permit process during 2016.  They submitted nothing to the Army Corps.  There was no correspondence in the administrative record.  However events on the ground in Coral Bay were significant.  In particular, property owners were becoming impatient with failed promises and broken expectations.

If you are interested in just one event on the timeline you can click on the item below to jump to that section.  Alternatively you can simply read through the entire story, which is still unfolding …

1. Background: Army Corps Permits
2. 2014:  The Year it All Started
3. 2015:  The Public and Federal Agencies Weigh In
4. 2016: No Response from SEG …
   1. May 2016:  Two Key Land Parcels Sold – The Voyages Building
5. 2017:  The Year of the Hurricanes … And Summers End Responds to Army Corps
6. 2018: Army Corps Initiates Consultation With Federal Agencies
7. 2019:  Agencies Request Additional Information to Initiate their Reviews
8. 2020:  Federal Agencies and Army Corps Still Waiting for Adequate Responses
9. 2021:  Major Developments – Historic Shipwreck and Extensive Deficiency List

May 2016:  Two Key Land Parcels Sold – The “Voyages Building”

After receiving the extensive list of additional information requirements and issues to be resolved, the Summers End Group seemed to go very quiet.  I periodically wrote or phoned Jose Cedeno to see whether the Corps had received anything and the consistent answer was “not yet.”  Meanwhile property owners within the footprint of the proposed marina were getting anxious and tired of waiting for the promised project to materialize.

Two parcels located directly in the center of the Summers End Marina footprint – Parcels 13-A and 13-B Carolina – were slated to become the central focal point of the marina layout.  The main pier is planned to lead directly to 13-A where the marina offices would be located.  Unfortunately for Summers End, these two parcels were owned by Merchants Commercial Bank who had acquired them in bankruptcy proceedings.  And Merchants Bank had NEVER given authorization to Summers End to use them to construct their marina (the sole authorization was to include the parcels in a permit application).  By October 2015 it had become clear to Merchants Bank that Summers End would not be able to purchase the properties, so they were listed for sale for to the public.

In May 2016 the two parcels were acquired by Paul Sabers, with intent to refurbish the “Voyages Building” and turn it into a restaurant and retail shopping area.  Needless to say this put a major hole in the plans of Summers End, and Attorney Robb Fox wrote to the Army Corps on behalf of Save Coral Bay to let the Corps know the implications of this sale.  Although the Corps did not take any immediate action, they did require SEG to modify all their plans and drawings to omit the two central parcels from their permit application.

The letter from Attorney Fox details the extent to which the loss of these two parcels impacted the project, and the reasons the Corps should have required a new permit application.

Next Page:  SEG USACE History – 2017