History of The Moorings
The history of The Moorings began in 1957 when developer Milton Link purchased 300 acres of land known as "The Crayton Tract" for $1.5 million. With financing from Cuban entrepreneur Julio Lobo, also known as the "King of Sugar," Link eventually acquired an additional 660 acres for $3 million. This total investment of $4.5 million in 960 acres of land led to the development of The Moorings neighborhood in Naples, FL.
As part of the development, Link set aside 500 feet of beachfront along the Gulf of Mexico for exclusive use by Moorings residents. The Moorings Property Owners Association (MPOA) was established in 1968.
Looking north from The Beach Club, newly developed Moorings, undeveloped Park Shore and Doctors Pass. Seagate, Clam Pass with undeveloped Pelican Bay and Naples Park 1958
Hurricane Ian
On September 28th 2022, Hurricane Ian came ashore in Naples as a Category 4 Hurricane. The storm surge wrought havoc on The Moorings and its Beach Park. Thanks to the reserve fund and the generosity of MPOA members who contributed $178,000 in donations, the MPOA was able to move quickly to begin to address the significant damage.
In those early days, work focused on making the Beach Park safe and secure. The priority was to remove the nearly 4 feet of sand that had accumulated in the parking lot and to clear sand from the base of the signature Australian pines. Damage to the tables, benches, bike racks, landscaping, clusia hedge, showers, signage, stone walls, power, irrigation, and the Mobility Porch ranged from extensive to complete loss.
By November of 2022, the work moved towards stabilizing the Beach Park to allow members safe access. With damage to nearly all Naples beach ends, the Park had become one of the few places to access the Gulf. Securing the Park with temporary fencing was critical. Clearing sand off the pathways, removing dangerous debris, and providing safe working conditions for the Park Attendants were all required to reopen.
Fortuitously, the many supply and construction delays of 2021-22 worked in the MPOA’s favor. By early 2023, the long-planned yet long-delayed bathroom renovations and gate installation were underway. Restoring power, water, and irrigation, replacing basic landscaping and the clusia hedge, installing new curbing and showers as well as providing safe pathways took months of persistence.
The MPOA worked in partnership with Christian Andrea of Architectural Land Design in planning a restoration of the Beach Park that built on what worked previously and offered improvements for the future. By the summer of 2024, the restoration was complete -- which included renovating the Mobility Porch, creating new pathways for improved beach access, expanding the seating areas, installing permanent tables, bench seating, and new plantings.
