By Jane Musgrave
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison wasn’t going to plunk down $35 million to add roughly 2 acres to his 16-acre $173 million estate in Manalpan until he was assured town officials would let him have four tunnels under State Road A1A and wouldn’t balk at other planned improvements.
The 81-year-old billionaire, one of the world’s richest men, got what he wanted on July 14 when town commissioners agreed to waive building codes so Ellison could have a fourth tunnel and could make other improvements, including the construction of what he termed an “engineering building.”
The commission’s approval will spur Ellison to follow through with plans to buy half of a lot immediately north of his estate at 2000 S. Ocean Blvd., said architect Roger Janssen, who represented Ellison. “The property will close within the next month or so,” Janssen told commissioners.
David MacNeil, founder of WeatherTech, in June paid $32 million for the other half of the roughly 4-acre lot that was owned by former Manalapan Mayor Stewart Satter. MacNeil plans to use the land to put a 20,578-square-foot addition onto the 17,558-square-foot house he owns to the north, town records show. When Ellison bought the former Ziff estate in 2022, it had three air-conditioned pedestrian tunnels under A1A. While the town code allows only one tunnel for each property, he was allowed to keep the existing tunnels.
However, the land he agreed to buy from Satter also has a tunnel. He needed assurances he could keep it as well.
Commissioners approved the request and another that allows him to build the engineering building near the Intracoastal Waterway on the land he agreed to buy from Satter.
The Ziff estate has a botanical garden with nearly 1,500 tropical species, a butterfly garden, tree house, swimming pool, tennis court and multiple guest houses.
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