Hurricane IAN Update 2/28/2023

Recapped below are the latest updates on repairs and rebuilding at the Caribbean Beach Club resort.

• Contract bid accepted and permits granted for the installation of a metal roof on both the North and Middle buildings. This work is anticipated to be complete by the end of March 2023.  The metal roof on the South building had NO DAMAGE and showed us that investing in a metal roof for all buildings would be both fiscally responsible as sustainable for the future.
• Due to damage from the water and wind, all door locks are being replaced by the latest version of our electronic door mechanisms. These are like the ones we already have but due to upgrades in technology will give us some abilities that we have not had in the past making it easier for all of us in case of accidental lockouts, lost fobs, etc.    These should be complete by the end of April if all equipment arrives in March.
• We are working through bids on our pool and spa equipment and railings and anticipate signed contracts in March. We will then apply for permits while the materials are being gathered and once all are received, will get the work done to get our pool up to speed (heat, chemicals, filters).
• We are working with the inspector on planting requirements and will have final bids corresponding to the required work on removing the final plant debris as well as grading, leveling, and paving the property. This must be completed before we can finish the pool and install the railings so that too is targeted for April-May.
• The final detailed elevator bid will be submitted to the insurance company and with their approval, and the receipt of permits, this work will get started and is mostly likely not to be complete until early May. Thanks to our insurance, we only have the deductible expense ($25,000) with the insurance company paying out the balance of the bid (close to $250,000).
• We have engaged a licensed engineer who is creating the plans for the repair of the South Building. Once complete, these plans will be presented to the city for approval.   We have had preliminary meetings with the city to ensure that the plans we are developing will be accepted.  There will obviously be some back and forth with the city, but we are confident that we will ultimately get our approvals and can then begin the work needed to make the South building habitable.   More details and updates will be coming as they are approved and available.

Our goal is to open the property to our owners as soon as it is safe and reasonable. This may mean that some units open before others but know that our focus is to be “back in business” for everyone as soon as it is safe to do so.

Summary Status (as of 1/27/23)

To summarize what happened to us during Ian: there was extensive roof damage to the north and middle buildings — though not enough to cause much water leak damage – and the elevator was destroyed, but otherwise these buildings were undamaged.  The contents of the first floor of the south building were almost all washed away by the storm surge, but the structure remained sound.  The second floor was nearly untouched, and the metal roof held with almost no damage.  Everything outside on the ground was damaged or washed away, but the pool and spa themselves survived intact.

Engineers, insurance adjusters, and our management team were on the ground as soon as possible, and once it became clear our building structures were sound, work began on getting estimates, making plans, and making the required repairs to get the resort back in shape.  The biggest issue is what to do with the south building so that the destroyed units on the first floor are replaced (which we are obliged to do by the legal structure of the association).

Our insurance coverages were the best we could obtain from insurers, all of whom are skittish about covering coastal properties at risk of hurricane damage.  We will have some recovery costs covered through insurance claims, but most expenses will have to be covered from a combination of our accumulated operating surplus and settlement funds (our rainy day funds, which now will be very welcome) and some amount of special assessment to all owners.  No board member or other owner welcomes an assessment, but there is no other way to get the funds needed.  Preliminary financial modeling indicates the assessment will probably be much less than the assessments levied when the north building had to be torn down and rebuilt many years ago, but beyond that nothing is yet definite.

With so much destruction on Estero Island and an overwhelmed town government, it is hard to plan schedules with certainty.  The board and management company are diligently planning and sequencing the work needed to obtain approval to reopen.  The north and middle buildings almost certainly will be able to open before the south building.  We have good reason to hope those buildings will reopen in 2023.  Some creative design alternatives are being discussed for the south building that we hope will speed its return to occupancy, possibly in 2023 but more likely in 2024.

In making decisions about how to repair the damage, the board is balancing multiple factors: the desire to open quickly, to regain the high quality visual appeal of the property, to protect us even better against future storms, to avoid unnecessary expense now but also avoid the risk of avoidable expense in the future, and to make sure the special assessment to come is really needed and “worth it”.

We are incredibly fortunate that in this most destructive storm imaginable we suffered such comparatively minor damage and are in a position to relatively easily return CBC to its status pre-hurricane.

There are many, many details behind this status overview.  Please see the two web pages below for some of those, and come back here often for updates.

Update (1/13/2023)

We have continued to make progress on our resort as it relates to repairs and remediation.   There are several projects that are in process and the Board has approved the following:

• Pool equipment and replacement – we have one bid from the Company that originally did all the pool work in weeks 36 and 37 but are waiting on a second bid for comparison.   For any large purpose, at least two bids are expected to ensure we get a good balance of pricing and timing.
• We received multiple bids for the roof repair.    Those bids were for the shingle roof replacement needed for the repair as well as for the full roof replacement to a treated aluminum roof similar to what is on the South Building.   The Shingle repair bid was $80,000 and the roof replacement bid was $185,000.    The Board made the decision to replace the roof of both the North and Middle building with the treated aluminum due to the impact to future expenses, including insurance and repair.   Because the roof damage was caused by a named storm, no insurance payments will be made as our deductible is higher than both bids.  For the shingle roof repair, we would have a 5 year warranty on the work that is done to repair the roof.   There is no warranty on the actual materials and if there is subsequent damage due to a named storm, we will have to spend our dollars for that repair.   We have spent dollars to repair this roof in every named storm in the past several years.    For the treated aluminum roof, there is a 25 year warranty on installation and materials with an additional 50 year warranty on the coating of the aluminum.  For the same storms of the past several years, no repairs have been needed or made to the metal roof on the South building.    Both repair costs and warranties contributed to the Board’s decision to invest in the metal roof.   There is no incremental cost or assessment to owners as a result of this decision as this expense is covered in existing funding.
• Timing for the roof repair will be approximately 3 weeks after permits are received and permits are currently taking 3 weeks to obtain.   Submission for the permits will be made the week of January 16^th, 2023.
• We are waiting on a second bid for the elevator repair in an attempt to get a more timely repair.   The current bid will require up to 9 months to repair and so we are trying to see if we can get a shorter timeframe.  This repair will cost us the $25,000 deductible on our insurance with the balance ($200,000) being paid by insurance.

Additional updates will occur as new information and timing is received.

Update (12/20/2022)

Wishing all of our owners and previous guests a very joyful, healthy and safe Holiday season.   Your Caribbean Beach Club is working on repairs and updates from Hurricane Ian with good milestones achieved in the past 90 days.   We have both power and water to our North and Middle buildings and we are working closely with contractors to repair the roofs, provide for a new elevator in the North building, to replace our pool equipment to ensure both pool and hot tub are working and replacing all of the railing washed away from the storm surge.    Keep visiting this site for more updates on when we will be open and ready for you to return to your “home away from home.”

Update (11/14/2022)

Platinum Interchange

We are here for you!

As a result of the devastation from the hurricane we would like you to know we can assist with your deposit and exchange needs.

Until November 30, 2022 we are taking use time deposits within 60 days with no late fee.

Call us today at 1-800-854-2324 , we are ready to get you back to traveling when you are ready.

Update (10/10/2022)

Important Update!!!  You may have heard the good news that property owners and business owners will be allowed on the island starting tomorrow.  THAT DOES NOT MEAN US!!!  Mary and our management company will be going Monday to meet our insurance adjusters and start the process of determining the stability of our buildings and property.   If any of us (individual unit week owners) decide to show up – it could VOID our insurance.   Please stay tuned for updates here but do not plan to go to the property until we are ready for our owners to be there.   Thank YOU so much for understanding.

Update (9/30/2022)

The Caribbean Beach Club team is safe.

We appreciate your concern and ask that you not contact the staff by phone or text at this time.

Caribbean Beach Club is currently closed until further notice.

We ask that you not arrive unless you have received confirmation from the Resort staff.

Please check back for updates.

Thank you for your patience.

Updates Page – We will post updates to status and announcements from the board on this page as they become available.  Some updates will go out by email and paper mail as well, but the website will have the most current information.