Historic Everglades City railroad depot is on the auction block after foreclosure
J. Kyle Foster- The historic Railroad Depot in Everglades City, Florida, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder after its owner, Bill Odrey, lost a lawsuit for breach of contract.
- Odrey purchased the building in 2014 with plans for restoration, but faced setbacks due to permitting issues, hurricanes, and an inability to secure funding.
- Despite Odrey's pleas for more time and attempts to stop the foreclosure, a judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Sun Coast Roofing Inc., paving the way for the auction.
Bill Odrey wanted to save the historic Railroad Depot in Everglades City. He felt strongly the building should be saved. His problem was that he never had the money to do it. On Thursday, the 1928 building in the center of this old Florida town will go to the highest bidder.
Odrey, who bought the building on Collier Avenue in 2014, is losing it in a public auction in Naples after losing a lawsuit filed by Sun Coast Roofing Inc. for breach of contract.
The building, with holes in the roof and a deck falling apart, is considered an eyesore in the community. It was left to succumb to the elements from 2019, and two major hurricanes had their way with it. In 2023, city officials started putting pressure on Odrey to fix it, sell it or donate the building to someone who could improve it.
Odrey has said over and over that he just needed a loan, donations and help to do the work. He said he needed to be able to open the building as a business to make money to do the repairs a little at a time. City and Collier County officials said no, that the building was unsafe for public use until an engineer examined the building and all repairs were completed by licensed contractors. He has blamed just about everyone for not caring enough.
Depot sat in disrepair for years
Odrey, from Atlanta, had a mortgage on the property that he said in 2023 was in good standing. The building is owned under the name Everglades Adventure Center LLC, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, according to court filings.
After he bought the building, Odrey made some repairs, one project at a time, and had big plans. He had the outdoor area, restrooms and kitchen open until 2019 when city code enforcement told Odrey he was in violation of permitting and shut him down.
"The building was in need of maintenance when we got it," Odrey said in a phone interview in September 2023. "Hurricane Ian really did it in."
Four years later, with no permits in place, no work done and destruction from Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Idalia in 2023, city officials demanded Odrey show some progress or face fines and possible demolition of the building.
"The building is too beautiful to waste it on that," Odrey said. "It's one of the most beautiful places in Everglades City," on the water and quiet, Odrey said. "I put a lot of money in it. It doesn't look like it now. ... I just have to finish it somehow. I just feel like I'm supposed to do this."
Odrey recruited a couple of locals to help him try to raise money. He went back to city officials multiple times to argue against liens, fines and to ask for more time. He showed some progress, by hiring Sun Coast, which was able to obtain permits for the roof work, by hiring an attorney and by agreeing to a timeline.
He missed the timelines. In court documents, Sun Coast President Thomas Salzmann said the company supplied labor and work but couldn't complete the contract because Odrey failed to submit required engineering documents to Collier County.
In February 2024, Sun Coast sent an invoice to Odrey for $29,626.71 with a request for payment. It wasn't paid, and Sun Coast filed a lien against the property on March 19, 2024. In September, the company asked for a final judgment of default for breach of contract and/or foreclosure. The final judgment was granted, and a public auction was set for Nov. 14.
Odrey's bankruptcy filing in 2020 initially delayed the foreclosure. But Sun Coast successfully argued that that bankruptcy reorganization plan was accepted in 2021, therefore making its claim separate and active. Collier County Court Judge Michael J. Brown agreed and said on Jan. 21 the auction date would be set for March 20.
Pleading for help
Odrey filed two hand-written letters to Brown dated March 13 and 14, pleading with him for a hearing "to have my day in court." He said he was overbilled, that he was not notified properly of the foreclosure, that he had trouble with permitting and with city and county officials.
"Please help me and the community by stopping the foreclosure," Odrey wrote.
Brown granted a hearing on Tuesday, March 18. Odrey was present, according to court documents. Brown denied the motion to stay the foreclosure and auction.
Odrey did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The Railroad Depot will go to the highest bidder for cash in an auction starting at 11 a.m. on the third-floor lobby of Collier County Courthouse Annex, 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Naples.
What history is on the auction block?
The depot was opened and used by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad for a passenger and freight line between Immokalee and Everglades City until 1956.
After the train line shut down, the building was used for businesses including Old Station Restaurant, Everglades Seafood Depot and Restaurant and Everglades Outdoor Center.
