Lee Lipton, Jesse Bongiovi and Jon Bon Jovi (l-r) met at Benny’s on the Beach before announcing their partnership. Photo provided
By Christine Davis
Lee Lipton, owner of Benny’s on the Beach restaurant on the pier in Lake Worth Beach, recently announced his partnership with rock musician Jon Bon Jovi’s Hampton Water Rosé.
The announcement came after a recent visit to the restaurant by Jon Bon Jovi and his son, Jesse Bongiovi, co-founder of Hampton Water Rosé.
The two, with Lipton, sampled the restaurant’s Captain’s Platter and ahi tuna tostada, finishing with a slice of Benny’s famous Key lime pie.
Jon Bon Jovi, a longtime fan of the seaside eatery, acknowledged that Hampton Water Rosé complements Benny’s coastal atmosphere and cuisine, and he solidified his connection to the restaurant.
Wine Enthusiast describes the wine this way: “Lovely top notes of peony and baby’s breath grace the bouquet of this rosé, with supporting notes of ripe melon, white cherry and strawberry at the core. The palate is medium in weight but well balanced, with a sweet orange flavor and bright acidic thread that keeps the momentum moving from the fruit-fueled palate to the vibrant, refreshing finish.”
Now, with Hampton Water Rosé the only rosé available on Benny’s menu, locals and visitors alike can enjoy it along with the restaurant’s ocean views, tasty dishes and Key lime pie.
“We’re excited to elevate the dining experience for our guests with such a distinguished and acclaimed wine,” Lipton said.
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Pebb Capital secured a $173 million construction loan from Monroe Capital and J.P. Morgan for Sundy Village on 7 acres at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Swinton Avenue, at 22 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach.
The $240 million mixed-use development broke ground early in 2023, with delivery anticipated for summer 2024.
Among the expected tenants are the Barcelona Wine Bar, Vertical Bridge communications, Double Knot restaurant, and chef and restaurateur Michael Schulson’s Schulson Collective.
Joe Freitas and John Criddle of CBRE oversee Sundy Village office leasing with Sara Wolfe of Vertical Real Estate handling the retail leasing.
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James and Kimberly Caccavo flipped their estate on a half-acre with 178 feet of waterfront at 71 Curlew Road, Manalapan, for $13.9 million in December.
They bought the property in November 2022 for $10.5 million. The buyer is Drwelruc, a Delaware limited company.
Nicholas Malinosky and Michael O’Connor, agents with Douglas Elliman, represented both sides. James Caccavo is the founder and managing general partner of the California-based Steelpoint Capital Partners, a private equity firm. Kimberly Caccavo founded Face Your Grace, a motivational e-learning platform.
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In January 2022, five big-ticket real estate sales were listed in this column. Last January, three big-ticket sales closed. This year, there’s one. What’s happening? Is the local luxury real estate market cooling off?
Not really, says Jonathan Miller, the president and CEO of New York City-based Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers and the author of a series of market reports covering more than 50 U.S. markets for Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
“The intensity of the sales has diminished,” he said. “The Fed’s policy pivot these past two years has played somewhat of a role, but there’s still a fair amount of sales and at bigger numbers” in price.
His records show eight sales of properties more than $50 million in 2023 for Florida, with most of them in Palm Beach and a few in Miami. In 2022, there were 13 in Florida, dominated by sales in Palm Beach, Manalapan and Boca Raton.
“The point is, after peaking in 2021 during the pandemic era housing boom, it still continues through 2023 as we were exiting the pandemic era surge, and as mortgage rates rose at their steepest ascent in four decades,” Miller said.
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Concierge Property Solutions was named the exclusive property management company for Royal Palm Residences, a nine-story three-tower condominium at 475 E. Royal Palm Road, Boca Raton.
“We are dedicated to enhancing the living experience for residents of Royal Palm Residences and to maintaining the highest standards of luxury, service and community engagement,” said Tricia Schmidt, director of operations for Concierge Property Solutions.
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The management team of the Boynton Beach Professionals leads group presented Eleanor Balash, a mortgage professional at Premier Mortgage Associates, with its quarterly recognition award.
“Eleanor strives to be a trusted business adviser to her clients,” said John Campanola, chairman of the group and an agent with New York Life. “She has been tirelessly working to promote the group and all of its members.”
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The Lowe’s Foundation recently presented Palm Beach State College with a $1 million grant to support the college’s skilled trades training program. It also announced new nonprofit partners: Goodwill, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and National Center for Construction Education and Research. Additionally, Lowe’s is partnering with Klein Tools to outfit the college’s training labs with HVAC and electrical tools and equipment.
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The Institute for Regional Conservation, a Delray Beach nonprofit, held six ecological restoration events at Red Reef Park in Boca Raton this past summer. With help from more than 100 volunteers, beach dune and coastal strand habitats within the park were restored.
Because of funds and support provided by the city of Boca Raton, more than 500 plants representing 40 native coastal species were installed in areas where volunteers removed nonnative invasive species.
The Institute for Regional Conservation will hold eight more volunteer events at Red Reef and South Beach parks beginning in early February. To volunteer, contact Liz Dutra at ldutra@regionalconservation.org.
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Jalesa Worthen was promoted to the position of chief operating officer of the Achievement Centers for Children & Families in Delray Beach. Previously, she served as the center’s director of early learning programs, and prior to that, she was the education supervisor at Lutheran Services Head Start.
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The Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency board decided to postpone interviews with applicants for the CRA director’s job, due to a shortened Jan. 18 meeting. Interim CRA Director Timothy Tack said some 64 people had responded to the city’s job posting.
The City Commission, which serves as the CRA board, is expected to help winnow the responses and select a few candidates to interview at the agency’s February meeting.
The commission fired Thuy Shutt from the job on Oct. 10 for largely unspecified reasons.
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The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County will host speakers Dr. Brent Schillinger, Renata Bozzetto, Ph.D., and Kate Renchin at its Hot Topics luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 21. The event is a roundtable on health care, immigration and voter rights.
Schillinger is co-chair of the league’s health care committee, past president of the Palm Beach County Medical Society, and currently chairs its opioid health care response initiative. He will focus on the status of health care in Florida.
Bozzetto, deputy director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, will discuss immigration and democracy.
Renchin, co-chair of the Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition and the Palm Beach County Election Program, will discuss the coalition’s work to inform people about pending legislation and litigation and the efforts to recruit nonpartisan poll monitors.
The luncheon will be at the Airport Hilton, 150 Australian Ave., West Palm Beach. The registration fee is $35, and attendees must register by Feb. 14. Visit https://lwvpbc.org/event/february-hot-topic-2024/
Tao Woolfe contributed to this column.
Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.
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