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State/County to Officially Close on Boomer Property
Jul 26, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FORT MYERS, Fla. (July 26, 2005) - The State of Florida and Lee County will hold a ceremony Wednesday (July 27) to officially close on the Historic Boomer Estate, a purchase that will preserve more than 100 acres of south Lee County property in perpetuity. The ceremony - with photo and interview opportunities - will be at 11 a.m. in the Lee Room of the Old County Courthouse in downtown Fort Myers, 2120 Main Street. The Lee Room is on the second floor, down the hall from the County Commission Chambers. Attending will be state and county officials, and several heirs of the Boomer family. The state and county are purchasing the 104-acre estate for $14.5 million - half coming from the state's Florida Forever Program (administered by the Department of Environmental Protection) and half from the county's Conservation 20/20 Program. The acquisition has been in the works since December 2003 (see Background write-up below). Special thanks to the Board of Lee County Commissioners, the Conservation 20/20 (CLASAC) Committee, the Florida Forever Program, County Lands Acquisition Agent Keith Gomez, Judy Warrick (Sr. Acquisition Review Agent with the Division of State Lands), and Fort Myers Mayor Jim Humphrey, who represented the family and its attorneys during the nomination of the estate to the county's Conservation 20/20 Program. HISTORIC BOOMER ESTATE ACQUIRED: On July 27, 2005, the Lee County Conservation 20/20 Program and the Florida Forever Program jointly acquired the historic Boomer estate. The acquisition adds nearly a half a mile of shoreline on the Estero River, a 1917 house, and 104 acres to the Koreshan State Historic Site. In December 2003, John H. Boomer, son of George Boomer, Jorgine D. Boomer, daughter of George Boomer, and Nola Boomer, widow of George Boomer, graciously authorized Mr. James T. Humphrey to nominate the 104-acre Boomer Estate to the CLASAC Committee for consideration under the County's Conservation 20/20 Acquisition Program. Following numerous reviews and discussions among State and County staff, it was recommended that both agencies proceed in a partnership for the acquisition of the Estate. The acquisition efforts were set in motion and on August 12th, 2004, one day before the arrival of Hurricane Charley in Southwest Florida, when State/County staff, Appraisers, members of the Boomer family, and their representatives convened at the Estate to initiate a formal analysis of the property and establish the date of value for which the property appraisals would be based. Shortly thereafter, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners and the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund finalized the Acquisition Agreement outlining the partnership for the acquisition of the 104-acre Estate in Estero. February 4, 2005, the Boomer family executed an option agreement for the sale of the property to Lee County and the State of Florida. The County on March 15th, 2005 and the State approved the Option Agreement for purchase of the property, on March 17th. In accordance with the Acquisition Agreement and the Option Agreement, the acreage is to be partitioned as follows: County approx. 41 acres, State approx. 62.6 acres subject to a life estate to Nola Boomer over 25.7 acres. The purchase price of the Estate is $14,500,000. The historic home, called Mirosal by the Boomer family, represents the only residence still in existence built by the Koreshan settlers. Following Cyrus Teed from Chicago to Estero, Florida in 1894, Lucius and Berthaldine Boomer were generous benefactors to the original Koreshan settlement and were one of the few settlers with children. One of four Boomer children, also named after his father, Lucius, built the residence for his then widowed mother, Berthaldine Boomer, who lived at the home site until her death in 1935. The younger Lucius later became a successful businessman, famous for his tenure as president of the luxurious Waldorf-Astoria in New York. His son, George Boomer, lived at the home site until his death in 1999. Most of the property is wooded, containing pine flatwoods, scrub, and a narrow band of hardwood hammock along the riverfront. It is home to gopher tortoises and a number of state endangered plants. The acquisition of this property is subject to a 25.7-acre life estate reserved by George Boomer's widow, Nola Boomer. The portion reserved as a life estate would not be available for public use while Mrs. Boomer is alive. The preservation of this property helps to protect the Estero Bay's water quality, its native plants and animals, and its historic heritage, and will provide recreational opportunities to the people of the rapidly growing Fort Myers area. The Florida Department of Recreation and Parks will manage the property as part of the Koreshan State Historic Site in coordination with the Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation. |