A new initiative has formed in southwest Florida to turn a crumbling, waterfront homestead into a haven for marine life. But how did this new artificial reef coming to South Florida originate? It’s an unusual tale more than 35 years in the making.
Once upon a time, a Tennessee inventor and oil magnate built what was meant to be his dream vacation home in the tiny community of Cape Romano, Florida. The project become known by locals as “the dome homes.” It was a unique structure of six interconnected pods that was completely self-sustaining, thanks to onsite cisterns for water and solar panels for electricity.
Built in 1981 on an isolated tip of Marco Island, the eclectic, futuristic-looking structures soon became a curiosity among the local townsfolk. The house was used as a holiday getaway as well as a full time residence until 1993. Hurricane Andrew, a category 5 storm that devastated South Florida when it made landfall in August of 1992, blew out the windows of the dome homes but otherwise did little damage. Still, the erosion caused by the storm began what would be the eventual demise of this local oddity.
As the sea moved in, the family moved out and the property was sold in 2005…just before Hurricane Wilma came roaring through with 150 mile per hour winds. This time, the storm caused more extensive damage to the home as well as sweeping away much of the beachfront. County officials declared the dome homes uninhabitable and they have been washing further and further out to sea ever since. But now, there is new life for this dying landmark.
Unable to get the proper permits to turn this unique house back into a home for people, a project is now underway to turn the dome home into an artificial reef, creating a new residence for countless sea creatures. Funds are being raised to relocate the structure to an underwater location in Collier County, and there are even plans to film the venture, to document both the history and this new beginning for the project.
The initiative is called the Oceans for Youth Foundation and has over 5,000 volunteers across the country. The land where the dome homes currently sit will be donated to Oceans for Youth to preserve its natural beauty and protect the sea turtles and terns who already nest there.
What was once an unusual and much buzzed about vacation home, which became a condemned eyesore as well as a favorite destination for urban explorers, will soon be a new reef, teeming with marine life and welcoming to scuba divers from all over the world. Here’s a neat little glimpse at what the site looks like currently.
