12781 Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Inverness, CA 94937
The Bellwhether Building · Retail Property For Sale

Property Description? The Bellwether Building is an iconic, historic building that is the heart of the town of Inverness. The property is not comparable to other Marin County commercial income properties thanks to its irreplaceable location, history and uses. Inverness has very limited commercial zoning and is the gateway to the Point Reyes National Seashore, which hosts more than 2.5 million visitors a year. Inverness Properties LLC acquired the historic Bellwether Building in downtown Inverness in September 2001. Previous to our purchase the Plant family owned the property since 1972. The original building was built in 1900 with a major upgrade and new additions in 1985. The Bellwether Building has become the heart of the village of Inverness. The post office is where locals chat while gathering their mail. The thriving Saltwater Oyster Depot and the Depot Café are busy with both locals and visitors, thanks to its fine food and reviews. Despite its local nature, the complex is on the busy road to the Point Reyes National Seashore beaches and the Point Reyes lighthouse. The building was re-roofed in 2006. This work included plywood underlayment in areas without and new roof drain systems in areas that had been problems in the past. The septic system has been upgraded with a new sand filter disposal field (in addition to the existing leach field), a 1500-gallon grease trap and new pump station. Other upgrades have been the replacement of the second floor deck and various windows, interior and exterior paint and more. There have been no extended vacancies during our 15-year ownership. The post office occupies over 2650 square feet and has been there for 110 years. The post office lease was recently renewed to 2021. Saltwater Oyster Depot leases the restaurant, cafe and a rear office space. The Point Reyes Light, the local newspaper, leases the back office. The upstairs two-bedroom apartment can be used for residential, commercial or vacation rental and is currently rented as residential on a month-to-month basis. The U. S. Postal Service reimburses the building owner for 36.5% of the total property tax bill.