New hope for The Islander: Historic designation could help owners rebuild after hurricane damage
The Islander Resort condominiums could bypass FEMA’s 50% rule thanks to a historical designation.
NORTH REDINGTON BEACH, Fla. — For nearly a year, a beloved beachfront timeshare in North Redington Beach has sat empty. Its future uncertain after back-to-back hurricanes caused major damage. Now, a new historic designation could change what happens next for The Islander Resort condominiums.
The 17-unit timeshare, divided into 866 ownership weeks, has been a vacation home for generations of families. But under FEMA’s 50-percent rule, owners faced a tough choice: sell or completely rebuild at great expense.
“I have so many memories of family and friends,” said Lisa Joaquin, the treasurer of The Islander Condo Association Board. “A lot of them aren’t even here anymore. And just to have that torn down and sold and put a high-rise here, because that’s probably what would happen, I just didn’t want to see it happen.”
Last week, Joaquin and other owners got a letter from the state that brought new hope. The Florida Department of State determined The Islander is potentially individually eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
“It lets you bypass the FEMA 50-percent rule, if needed,” Joaquin explained.
That finding came after Joaquin spent months researching the building’s history and filing the paperwork needed to get the designation.
“It was really a lot about post-World War II tourism and how the beaches developed, and this was one of the first five properties on the beach of this type,” she said.
Still, not everyone agrees on the path forward. Some owners want to sell, while others hope to rebuild and preserve the historic property.
“A lot of division between the owners,” Joaquin said. “Some want to sell, some want to stay. I still think we can come up with an exit plan for the ones who wanna sell.”
For now, the new historic eligibility gives owners a renewed sense of possibility — and a chance to save both a piece of local history and the memories that come with it.
