Everglades Rail Depot Spared Auction Block

Going, going… stayed. 

Everglades Rail Depot was spared a foreclosure sale minutes prior to a scheduled auction at Collier County Courthouse in Naples on Thursday morning.

“Thank Jesus. You have no idea what a blessing this is,” said owner Bill Odrey, 72, in a phone interview. 

Odrey owns the iconic waterfront property at 102 Collier Avenue in Everglades City, originally built in 1928 as part of the Atlantic Coast Railroad, through his company, Everglades Adventure Center, LLC, which filed bankruptcy.

The property sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Ian and the storms that followed. 

The lawsuit for the foreclosure was initiated by Sun Coast Roofing after Odrey allegedly failed to pay for costs related to repairs of the dilapidated building that totaled less than $30,000.

Odrey was not able to immediately share the status of the agreement made on Thursday, having lost days of sleep prior to the auction, which was scheduled 11:00 AM Thursday, he said. 

Collier County Judge Michael Brown filed the order to stay, or cancel, the foreclosure at 10:58 AM on Thursday, with just two minutes to spare.

The bill had been paid, Odrey later said. 

“Not being able to represent myself in court is unjust,” said Odrey in a follow-up interview several days after the building was spared foreclosure. 

He added that it cost nearly $12,000 in legal fees that he felt were unnecessary if he were simply allowed by state law to represent himself.

Odrey is optimistic that by securing additional funding, he can replace the roof and make needed improvements to get the historic depot back up and running in Everglades City. He hoped to connect tours by trolley with the Naples Depot Museum. But with the Everglades Depot still missing a roof and with spray painted with graffiti, such plans as a tourist attraction appear premature.

“Companies are supporting the project to preserve Florida history,” said Odrey, who owns Premier Trolley Services in Naples since 2010.

One investor was seemingly enthusiastic on Thursday but has since, at least temporarily, backed out of an interview to discuss plans to help save, or resurrect, the Depot. 

Odrey continues requesting more financial support from people interested in historic preservation as well as waterfront community programs but has not yet created such partnerships to assist in the reconstruction of the building, he said. 

More than $200,000 in building materials have been donated by several companies, and at least $200,000 is needed to cover labor costs to install the materials, particularly the roof, and the items needed to reopen, said Odrey. 

He is looking forward to the building being open well before the 100th anniversary of the Everglades Train Depot in 2028, he said.

The Depot could be an ideal place for people to stay with the planned opening of the Everglades National Park Welcome Center in Carnestown, he said.

Though the building needs a new roof, windows, decking, flooring, and other repairs, the concrete foundation and walls are strong, Odrey insists. 

There are challenges securing loans due to lack of revenue sources caused by the building being completely closed at this time, said Odrey.

The building offers approximately 15,000 square feet for large events. It has operated as a restaurant, such as Everglades Seafood Depot, for decades after the closing of the railroad service. 

“It’s really a serious building, but the people before me never took care of anything,” said Odrey, who bought the Depot in 2014. 

Records indicate an initial purchase price of $266,000 in 2014 and then a year later a sale or remortgage of $445,000. His goal is to transport people into Everglades City from Naples and Marco Island, providing a tour through Everglades City with a stop at the historic depot and its restaurant, he said. A second-floor accommodation is a potential future, Odrey added. Other community and philanthropic endeavors from the space are also of interest, he said. 

“The building has never been flooded in history. It’s structurally sound. It was the center of Everglades City from the beginning of time,” said Odrey. 

“I have the best building in town,” said Odrey.

Companies that have contributed materials include a tile flooring supplier as well as: 

• Owens Corning Weardeck, composite decking
• Carlisle SynTec Systems, which provides roofing materials
• Rams Roofing of Bonita Springs
• Sherwin Williams, painting materials
• ABC Supply
• Tropical Supply of Naples, which offers air conditioning and other materials
• RDI Railing, which provides deck and stairway railing
• Citrus-Shield for cleaning and protecting the building

Odrey established a GoFundMe page, which he has yet to share, called Save Everglade City’s Historic Train Depot. The direct link is https://gofund.me/a841e9ba.