Evan Dean
•7/27/2026
On the northern end of Pine Island Sound is a place unlike any other: Useppa Island.
The private island is a piece of old Florida, with stories of old spanning thousands of years.
“The island has a very interesting past and has not been over-commercialized," said homeowner Simon Bound. "That's what makes it distinctive in southwest Florida."
From the Calusa Indians to Barron Collier to Useppa’s role in various wars, the island's history is as rich as its lush landscape.
But Useppa’s more recent history has been marred by hurricanes, including Milton, which devastated much of the public space in the fall of 2024.
"The island was in such poor condition that you really couldn't even put a budget together,” Nathan Smith said. “So (many) things had been destroyed — and not maintained.”
Smith is among those working to change that. He’s one of 10 homeowners – 10 families – who’ve sought to restore Useppa.
The group teamed up to buy the island last September for $16 million. Since then, they and other investors have poured $14 million into rebuilding.
Bound is chairman of the ownership group.
“We're setting about to invest the monies in Useppa to bring it back to the 1920s and 1930s glory days,” he said. “That's what we're up to."
In a little under a year, crews have rebuilt the marina and multiple docks. They’ve installed a new sea wall and have rebuilt the spot known as Sunset Beach.
Brian and Mary McColgan, who’ve owned a home on Useppa for 40 years, are amazed at what’s been accomplished in a short period of time.
"The homeowners are just thankful,” Mary said. "I cannot imagine it happening any place else."
And even more work is still ahead. Crews are partway through a restoration and expansion of the historic Collier Inn.
"The whole motivation is that we love Useppa," Bound said. "We want to see it rebuilt in the right way.”
People can only get to Useppa by boat or by helicopter. There are no cars, no stop lights, and definitely no strip malls.
Those on the island intend to keep it that way.
"It's vital. I mean, it's the old Florida that brought us here,” Brian McColgan said.
“We're developing this island with great respect to the history and all the folk that have gone before us,” Bound said. “I think that's very important."
Bound credits Steve Mezynieski, the CEO of the ownership group, for his role in the construction work.
To learn more about Useppa – including how to visit – click here.
