A posh Port Royal compound in Naples that made national headlines as the most expensive home for sale in America has generated “considerable interest.”
It’s still on the market at a record $295 million.
To drum up even more interest, the sellers’ agents partnered with a Naples-based architect, Harrison Design, to produce renderings to help potential buyers visualize the possibilities for the one-of-a-kind waterfront property.
Known as Gordon Pointe, the 9.04-acre gated compound hit the market in February.
It’s being marketed by Coldwell Banker Realty’s Dawn McKenna Group, in partnership with The Leighton Candler Team of Corcoran and Rory McMullen of Savills, the London-based real estate firm.
The listing includes three homes. However, it’s anticipated the new owners will want to make the property their own, so the renderings are meant to show what the future could hold for it.
“We have found that most serious buyers have been looking at the property as a family compound, but it is hard to demonstrate just how big and how much can be done with the property,” said Dawn McKenna, founder of the Dawn McKenna Group.
In case you missed it:Port Royal compound lists for a record $295 million, making national headlines
The renderings show a 35,000-square-foot primary home on the beach, with an expansive “guest home” of about 22,000 square feet on the bay. Each have their own pool.
The conceptual plans for what’s envisioned as a new family compound include a three-hole golf course, two gated entries, a pickleball court, a beach cabana with a fully equipped summer kitchen, and its own separate pool.
“We have had considerable interest in this exceptional property, primarily from single families who plan to make this their private retreat. Some inquiries and offers have been from people who already have a significant property here in Port Royal. Others are from people with ties to the Midwest and Canada,” McKenna said.
She added: “We have also been fielding serious interest from abroad, including South America and Europe.”
Leighton Candler, founder of The Leighton Candler Team, described the renderings as “a starting point to let the imagination run wild about the mansions, structures and amenities that could be the Gordon Pointe of the future.”
With water on three sides, Gordon Pointe is not only a rare offering in Florida, but in North America, said Rory McMullen, with Savills.
“We continue to generate interest from families all over the world looking for the opportunity to create something extraordinary,” he shared. “To have a blank canvas to realize your dream compound in such a special location like Port Royal is hard to ignore.’’
Gordon Pointe is the most significant assemblage of property to hit the market in Port Royal and Naples at large. The property has more than 200,000 square feet of residential development potential, with the option to create a “subdivided community for a lucky few,” with at least six houses, if not a family compound, according to the selling agents.
The property offers 720 feet of beachfront with Gulf of Mexico views, 940 feet of bay views, a yacht basin spanning 231 feet, and a T-shaped dock of 111 feet for up to six boats.
“Gordon Pointe has the most impressive vessel accommodations in the city of Naples. It’s most accurately described as a personal marina, due to its ability to safely house multiple vessels of all sizes,” observed David Hirshberg, manager of Galati Yacht Sales in Naples.
The Donahue family owns the property. A well-known Naples philanthropist, John “Jack” F. Donahue made his fortune running Pittsburgh-based Federated Investors, which he co-founded in 1955. He died in 2017, and his wife Rhodora pasased away about five years later. High school sweethearts, they started amassing the land in the 1980s, which is now in the hands of their many heirs. They had 13 children, and more than 80 grandchildren.
Port Royal has long been known as a playground for the rich.
Nearly a year ago, a waterfront estate in the neighborhood went on the market for more than $174 million. A price that was unheard of then. It’s still for sale. The beachfront property, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, is expansive, stretching more than 8.5 acres, making it a rarity, too.
More of a rarity: The neighboring property is also up for sale on both sides, with the potential to carve out an even larger one-of-kind estate on Naples’ highly coveted Gordon Drive. Combined, they would cost $295 million, for more than 15 acres, with 812 linear feet of beach frontage (the same price as the Donahue compound).
While ownership is under different names, these three properties are tied to the DeGroote family. The family’s patriarch Michael DeGroote Sr., a Canadian billionaire, entrepreneur and philanthropist, died in 2022.
In a word, Michael McCumber, with Gulf Coast International Properties, the exclusive listing agent for all the property, has described it as “fabulous.”
“The valuation reflects the high demand for waterfront property in our area, along with the sheer size of the grounds. Residents continue to see the benefits of living in our pristine region and there happens to be a large building boom taking place on Gordon Drive right now, which will be spectacular when complete. This estate represents incredible land value and an opportunity for someone to create the lifestyle of their dreams,” he said.
In case you missed it:Luxury market levels off: Southwest Florida’s top home sales in 2023
Collier County’s record home price still stands at $62 million – set in 2022. With six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, the resort-style, Gulf-front retreat, with a living area of more than 11,800 square feet under air, in Aqualane Shores, another coveted neighborhood in Naples, sold at its asking price.
On Florida’s east coast, a mega mansion fetched $173 million in 2022, which the Palm Beach Daily News reported as the record high for the state.
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