At the end of Coconut Road on Estero Bay, the site of a long dormant pioneering homestead is becoming part of a sprawling new coastal community that is taking its place.
Saltleaf Marina in Bonita Springs opened to the public on June 22, part of the otherwise exclusive 500-acre Saltleaf community being built by Naples-based luxury developer London Bay.
The $8.5 million, 72-slip marina is on the site of the old Weeks Fish Camp, where the Weeks family once built a commercial fishing operation, offering access to the bay and gulf waters.
London Bay and its contractor Kelly Brothers completed the marina and ship store “on time and under budget,” Wilson said during his remarks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 22. It was also attended by the fish camp founders’ grandchildren Jim and John Weeks, Bonita Springs Mayor Mike Gibson, Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass and other officials.
Saltleaf Marina and The Ritz-Carlton residential towers.
Evan Williams
In an agreement with Bonita Springs, Wilson made the marina a public amenity in perpetuity as part of the larger, 500-acre Saltleaf masterplan. The development includes The Ritz-Carlton residential towers, a golf course and fine-dining restaurant Acqua Bistecca, among other amenities.
In the early stages of Saltleaf project planning, the public-access marina became a sticking point for city officials and Weeks family members.
The Weeks family opened the marina area to the public in 1942.
In 2006, they sold the 40-acre property to private developers, said Jim Weeks, who is a board member for the Bonita Springs Historical Society. He worried that its preservation for public use and link to Old Florida history would be lost.
“That was a sad day for me,” Weeks said during his remarks at the event. “Although we fought as a family and bickered about the future of the camp, we were still all family living here on the same patch of land our parents (and) grandparents originally settled.
After London Bay bought the property in 2018, CEO Wilson convinced Weeks that he would honor an agreement to make the marina a public amenity.
Jim Weeks and Mark Wilson.
Evan Williams
Jim Weeks and his brother, John Weeks, mingled in the marina ship store after the event. In addition to offering sundries, historic Weeks Fish Camp photos appear on shelves depicting the family and old coastal village life they created.
“Just to have our name and being part of it, it means a lot to me,” John Weeks said. “There are so many other companies that could have come in here and said, you know, we bought the property, we can do whatever we want.”
During their remarks at the ribbon-cutting event, officials talked about the unique agreement that Wilson made with the community.
“This is a great example of why other cities in the area should be following this model,” Commissioner Pendergrass said, “and looking to see what you can do with going bigger and better and newer and higher. So this is a great project. Congratulations. Thank you for keeping the public access. This is so important for you to have that.”
Mayor Gibson called the project “transformational” for the city.
“So many people used to launch their boats here instead of having to drive all the way out to Lovers Key (State Park),” Gibson said after the ceremony. “So, this is giving a connection closer to home.”
Brothers Jim and John Weeks in the marina ship store, looking at pictures of the old Weeks Fish Camp and pointing to where the marina ship store sits today.
Evan Williams
The marina is similar to a public park but owned and managed by London Bay instead of a local government.
“When we sat down and met with officials and community leaders and talked about what we wanted to develop, the one thing they asked is could they keep marina open to the public,” Wilson said. “…But clearly it needs to be in keeping with the project. We need to be able to manage the marina operations because we want it to be in keeping with the community and our standards. And I think that we’ve been able to do that. We do have an agreement that the marina is open in perpetuity. So this isn’t, you know, opening for a few years. This is forever.”
In downtown Bonita Springs, a massive banyan tree in Riverside Park, estimated to be more than a century old, is for some a metaphor for Florida developments past and present.
“To me that banyan tree represents roots in the community with branches growing as the years pass, and London Bay is part of those branches now,” Jim Weeks said.