The former Pope estate, pictured in this rendering, will have
a ‘modern Tahitian-Transitional style.’ Asking price: $30.499 million.
Photo provided
By Christine Davis
The former Manalapan oceanfront home of the late Generoso Pope, founder and publisher of the National Enquirer, is for sale yet again.
Located on three acres at 1370 S. Ocean Blvd., it is undergoing extensive renovations that are scheduled to be completed in February 2015, said Jack Elkins, a Realtor with Fite Shavell Inc., who is listing the house with Bunny Hiatt.
Currently, the seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom, two-half-bath home, with 32,091 square feet, is priced at $30.499 million, but as more aspects are completed, the price of the house will increase, he added. “In a couple of weeks, it will go up $1 million, and will continue to go up accordingly.
“This will be the largest spec house on the strip. It has 300 feet on the oceanfront; the only house on that strip with more than that is the Vanderbilt estate. It also has 300 feet on the Intracoastal Waterway, which would allow dockage for a superyacht up to 150 feet.”
The renovated house, which now features deep overhangs and a white coral stone and ipe wood exterior, will look different and feel different, he said. “It’s a tranquil, modern Tahitian-Transitional style, and has all the amenities of a resort.”
According to the warranty deed, the owner is Blue Water EJ LLC, a company with an address in New Port Richey linked to Edward M. Brown, CEO and co-owner of Patron Spirits, a maker of tequila, rum and vodka.
The architect, Gregory Bonner, of B1 Architects in West Palm Beach, has been working on the house for the past year and a half, and called the project massive.
“It was a gut-rehab. Pretty much everything is new. We left the shell, but we did add some square footage. All the openings in the walls are different; the roof is different; but the floors are intact.”
Almost all of the rooms have ocean views and there are two elevator towers. In addition to the living and dining room and bedrooms, there are also an art gallery, library, club room, bar, wine room, family room, media room, home theater, children’s family room, second-floor family room, cabana, office, and a gym with a spa salon, massage room and yoga terrace.
In both the living room and family room, three 9-by-20-foot sections of glass remain and were incorporated into the new design, because “they can’t be made today,” Bonner said.
Some outstanding new features include a soaring glass staircase in the living room, which has 20-foot ceiling heights, a 20-foot-high-by-6-foot-wide waterfall in the grand foyer, and ceilings throughout with a variety of architectural embellishments. The ladies’ bathroom has a fireplace, and the 20-by-40-foot master bedroom with a ceiling height of 17 feet at the perimeter, is crowned by an 18-by-27-foot skylight.
Outside, in addition to the dock, there are a pool, grotto, water features, and a pond with a bridge. When a visitor drives through the front gate, the first view will be a 16-foot-high waterfall, which masks a 6- to 10-car garage/man cave with a skylight, which was built into a slope. This is in addition to the main garage, which can hold 10 to 12 cars.
The landscape designer is Keith Williams of Nievera Williams Design.
The owner originally planned to live in the home, but has since decided otherwise, Elkins said. “Mr. Brown saw that Manalapan is a hot market, and with that much water frontage, he wanted to make an exceptional house on the property as an investment opportunity.”
A rundown of the home’s transactions — a total of more than $123 million — since 1999:
• In 1999, Delray Beach developer Frank McKinney purchased the property from Lois Pope for $15 million.
• Following an extensive remodel, McKinney sold it in November 2000 to the Binky Revocable Trust for $27.5 million, to software entrepreneur Daniel Gittleman.
• July 2004, McKinney’s company, Venture Concepts International Inc., took back the property’s title for $19 million.
• Two months later, another sale of the property was recorded. This time, McKinney’s company sold the estate for $22.4 million to motivational speakers Peter S. and Tamara A. Lowe.
• June 2009, there was a recorded sale for $22,458,456 to Germantown-Seneca Joint Venture; it was an amount almost equal to the existing Bank of America liens on the property. According to SEC filings, Germantown-Seneca’s general partners were two wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America: Ritchie Court M and Harper Farm M., both Maryland-based corporations.
• MGM Designs, LCC. bought the estate on Feb. 25, 2010 for $12 million.
• And finally, the Dec. 2012 sale of $15,630,000.
Brendan Lynch, Tom Lynch, Karen Granger, Connor Lynch and Scott Porten
celebrate Tom Lynch’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Greater Delray Beach Chamber
of Commerce’s Luminary Gala.
Photo by Jim Greene
The Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce announced its winners at its 2014 Luminary Gala in October. Tom Lynch won the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award; Tim Young, President of Delray Motors, was named the 2014 Business Person of the Year; Delray Honda was named the 2014 Business of the Year; Woo Creative received the 2014 New Business of the Year award; C.R.O.S. Ministries was named the 2014 Nonprofit Organization of the Year; PeterMark Salon was the 2014 Retailer of the Year; Caffe Luna Rosa was named the 2014 Restaurant of the Year; 2014 Delray Beach & Beyond — Corporate Reach Award went to 21 Drops; and the 2014 Ken Ellingsworth Community Service Award went to Tiffany Peterson of Spodak Dental Group.
The Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square will host its second annual publishing seminar, Publish or Perish, from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 6, at the Angelique Tea Room in the Cornell Museum. A panel with Sally Ling, Lewis Banks, Winston Aarons and Pam Carey, moderated by Barbara Cronie, writing program director of The Writers’ Colony, will discuss self-publishing vs. traditional publishing.
Also, authors Howard and Ellen Goodman will describe their experiences in China from the memoir/travelogue, Disoriented: Two Strange Years In China As Unexpected Expats. The Old School Square Cultural Arts Center is at 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. The seminar is $75. Call Ann Smith at 243-7922, Ext. 317.
Tennis icon Venus Williams will design the lobby, two models and some of the individual units of an apartment building complex developed by Jorge Perez, the 172-unit SofA I and 2, just south of Atlantic Avenue between First and Fourth avenues, in Delray Beach. “The interior design style at SofA can be described as mixed media. Similar to the way an artist would approach a canvas, it has many different elements of décor,” said Ariana Ranieri, speaking on behalf of Williams’ VStarr design team.
“The overall space has an artsy, industrial-type feel, like something you would see when you walk into a warehouse-style art gallery. We were mindful of this scheme in relation to the amenity features and those are equally as unique in concept. Residents will find eclectic beauty around every corner.”
Honey, a new venue that offers food choices by Chef Nick Morfogen, cocktails courtesy of in-house mixologist Angela Dugan, and nightlife in its renovated space at 16 E. Atlantic Ave. in Delray Beach, celebrated its opening night on Oct. 29. Honey’s hours are 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday with Sunday hours to be announced. Valet parking is available. Call 270-7187.
Society 8 Hospitality Group launched its newest restaurant concept, Mastino, a wood-fired Italian kitchen and bar, in Pineapple Grove at 25 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach. The casual eatery will offer an array of classic Italian dishes, craft beverages and Italian desserts. Mastino will also be neighbors with SoLita, an upscale Italian eatery, for those looking for a fine-dining experience. Call 922-0900.
The Boca Chamber’s 33rd annual Holiday Auction will be on from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10, at the Via Mizner Golf & Country Club, 6200 Boca del Mar Drive, Boca Raton.
Dr. Larry Kawa, will speak at the Gold Coast Tiger Bay Club lunch on Dec. 10, at the City Fish Market on Glades Road and Florida’s Turnpike Boca interchange. A political activist who recently filed a federal lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act, Kawa is a frequent commentator on FOX news and is a children’s orthodontist in Boca Raton. Cost to attend is $35 for members and $45 for guests. Call 852-0000.
Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s new Center for Colo-Rectal Surgery will specialize in an integrated approach to the surgical treatment of colo-rectal diseases, with a focus on collaboration among physicians from Boca Regional and throughout the region. The hospital is a recognized leader in colo-rectal care, earning the 2014 Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award by Healthgrades for the 10th consecutive year. Dr. Andrew Ross will serve as the center’s director.
Rabbi Josh Broide has joined the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County as the organization’s first director of community engagement. Broide has served the local Jewish community in a number of professional roles since he moved to the county in 2000. Most recently, he was outreach rabbi for Boca Raton Synagogue, where he previously served as executive director. Broide has also served as local director of the Jewish Student Union and as rabbi at Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach.
INSET BELOW: Eva Hill
In November, the Palm Beach International Film Festival presented Eva Hill, president and CEO of Britannia Pacific Properties, with the Gutsy Gals Inspire Me! Award at its kick-off gala celebrating the 20th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Hill helped direct the effort to bring the International Film Festival to Palm Beach. She also helped create Eau’s annual charitable event, Artists for Others, which will be held on March 26, 2015. Proceeds from the event will be split among Children’s Home Society, Habitat for Humanity South Palm Beach and Holy Ground Shelter For Homeless.
Hill’s energy level is boundless, especially when it comes to her humanitarian and charitable work. Calling on her leadership skills and network, she works to help improve the lives of families and children in crisis.
“I often hear the phrase ‘give until it hurts,’” said Hill. “I prefer to say, ‘give until it feels good!’”
Recently, Hill was able to largely furnish a number of local Habitat for Humanity homes with Eau Palm Beach’s guest-room furniture no longer in use.
In addition to providing funding, Hill has participated in mission trips to Mexico to build homes for residents in poverty stricken areas. She also has been involved with WEAVE (Women Escaping a Violent Environment) and Sophia’s Heart (a homeless shelter for families).
Britannia Pacific, the U.S. real estate investment arm of the Lewis Trust Group, owns the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Under Hill’s leadership, the hotel is now recognized as a AAA Five-Diamond Award Property and part of Preferred Hotels and Resorts. Also, the resort was recently ranked No. 6 in Condé Nast Traveler 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Resorts in Florida.
Tickets for Artists for Others are $295. Call 540-4994.
The Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce will honor its notable winners at its 2014 business awards luncheon on Dec. 10, at Indian Spring Country Club, with networking at 11:30 a.m. and lunch at noon.
Easy Pay Tire will receive the Chamber’s Legacy Award for longevity and commitment to the area. Harvey Oyer Jr., who passed away in 2010, will receive the Harvey Oyer Community Involvement & Corporate Citizenship Award, which recognizes an individual business leader who has contributed valuable time and resources within the community. TrustBridge will be named the Nonprofit of the Year.
The voters’ choice, “Young Professional Leader of the Year Award,” will also be named at the luncheon. The nominees are Brittany Etheridge with TooJay’s Restaurant & Deli; Eric Rosenblum with Southgate Design; and Teresa Dabrowski with the Education Foundation of Palm Beach. Indian Spring Country Club is at 11501 El Clair Ranch Road, Boynton Beach. Tickets are $40. Call 732-9501.
Boynton Beach resident Barbara Barlage, assistant branch manager at BankUnited in Boca Raton, was recently appointed to the board of directors for the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum & Learning Center in Boynton Beach.
Barlage, a Boynton Beach resident, was a long-time board member for the Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce having served as board president and as chairwoman for the Chamber’s annual Taste of Boynton. She also served as a board member for the American Heart Association.
The 12 Days of Giving, an event which will kick off online Dec. 12 at RewardsforCauses.com, will donate 100 percent of its proceeds to support local causes for a 12-day period ending on Dec. 24.
Preview dining, fitness and travel offerings of businesses in Palm Beach and Broward counties, including Dada, Boca Surf and Sail, Eleven Salon and Spa, Nu-Turf and Braman BMW, and click “Get Reward” to receive any offer.
Then select from a list of featured local causes, and 100 percent of the flat $10 purchase price will be donated to the cause of your choice. The reward is immediately ready to use and accessed via “Your Account” and email, and redeemed directly with the business.
“Every deal you purchase on RewardsforCauses.com supports a great cause and saves you money,” said Delray Beach resident Nicholas Brusca, founder of Rewards for Causes. “Look at it as donating to your favorite charity to receive an exclusive reward. Our standard donation is 50 percent of the proceeds to the cause of the purchasers’ choice, but for these 12 days, we are donating 100 percent to the causes.”
Neighbrhds (www.neighbrhds.com), a product of Urban Living Marketing, has recently released an app with Realtor partner Nestler Poletto Sotheby’s International Realty.
The app will provide users with local information tailored specifically to Delray Beach neighborhoods. Each Neighbrhds app includes a community social feed, as well as a list of the top local restaurants, bars, shopping and coffee shops. The apps are freely available on iOS and Android.
To download the app, visit www.neighbrhds.com or search for “Delray Beach” in either the Android or iOS app stores.
Rolando Chang Barrero Fine Art Gallery opened in November at 711 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth. Featuring paintings, sculpture, photography, couture gowns, and artist-designed wallpaper coverings, Barrero aims to take his former ActivistArtistA Gallery to a new level. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Thursday. Call (786) 521-1199 or visit rolandochangbarrerofineart.blogspot.com
Christine Davis is a freelancer writer. Send business to her at cdavis9797@comcast.net.
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