Planning a trip to the beach?
Here's one hot rental property that you may want to consider.
A beach house once owned by Atlanta media mogul Ted Turner on private St. Phillips Island is under restoration and will become a tourist destination beginning in spring 2020, according to the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom family retreat is situated on 4,680 acres across the sound from Hilton Head Island.
Turner bought the property in 1979, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The house is said to be 3,300 square feet. Views inside reveal 1970s-styled wood paneling and cabinets.
The billionaire asked $24 million for the property in 2014, but the state purchased it four years later for a bargain of $4.9 million, according to reports.
South Carolina State Parks officials said more work is being done to prepare the island property for vacationers and campers. But there are a handful of catches:
- There is no bridge access to the island, meaning it is only reachable by boat.
- There's no electricity or running water.
- The bathrooms are portable.
- The house sits nearly 4 miles inland.
- There are no paved roads, only dunes and sand trails.
Among the upgrades being considered is a tram car that will provide transportation to the house from the boat dock.
According to The Post and Courier, the wood-paneled home features wide verandas and panoramic views of the Atlantic.
And don't forget your wallet.
Officials didn't provide a figure, but say the cost to visit and stay on the island would likely be more expensive than visits to the neighboring islands in Port Royal Sound.
“Where else can you rent your own private island on the coast of South Carolina? This is a special place,” said Duane Parrish, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, according to The Post and Courier.
In describing the island, Robert Edward “Teddy” Turner, one of Turner’s five children, told The Post and Courier in an interview that St. Phillips Island is a primitive place.
“It’s prehistoric. It really is,” the newspaper quoted him. “In the summer, it’s infested with horseflies, deer flies like you’ve never seen. We used to run from the house to the beach. You wouldn’t walk around in the woods much during the summertime, but what’s a rattlesnake between friends?”
Credit: Elijah Nouvelage
Credit: Elijah Nouvelage
Ted Turner, 81, is the founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting System. Earlier this year, WarnerMedia announced restructuring at the Atlanta-based media company, which eliminated the name “Turner Broadcasting.”
»FROM OCTOBER: Turner Broadcasting sign taken down from Atlanta Techwood campus building
»MORE: New Ted Turner mural pops up in Midtown
As a result, Turner's name was taken off the building on Atlanta's Techwood campus. The building was later rededicated to him at a ceremony in early December.
