In The Wake Of The Storm

An early morning sea breeze lifts the fronds of a lone palm tree near the edge of a vacant lot at the northwest corner of Ocean Drive and Date Palm. For decades, two duplexes and a small bungalow shared this space; then came the fateful fall of 2004 when back-to-back hurricanes ripped through Indian River County. Badly battered and beyond repair, the buildings are now gone and the site will soon become the home of five two- and three-bedroom multi-level cottages, each designed to blend Bermuda-style elegance with the casual lifestyle of island living.
With such captivating names as Conch, Coquina, Jewel Box, Periwinkle and Sand Dollar, they will be a welcome addition to the changing face of Vero’s beachside community. The credit goes to Scanlan Buckley and her partners John Hawks and Dick Moore, who formed Oceans 3 LLC, purchased the property, and are now in the process of developing The Cottages on Ocean Drive.

“Each of the cottages will be unique,” says Scanlan. “They’ll all have their own personality, so don’t ask me which one is my favorite–that’s like asking me which one of my children I like best.” Surrounded by boards of architectural renderings and interior design details, she can’t hide her enthusiasm.“I love the first one, Conch, as it will look right out at the ocean. Periwinkle has a southern exposure, Coquina a more northerly one, and they will all have these wonderful terraces. What we’re really going for is to get as much outside space and light inside each as we possibly can. From the very beginning we wanted the cottages to lend themselves to Vero Beach and in some small way leave an appropriate mark on the community.”

Read the entire article in the November 2007 issue