By David Rogers
The 4-acre oceanfront compound at 89 Middle Road, which Columbia University sold in April for $39 million, will be split in the coming years.
A first step in the process was taken Monday when the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the demolition of three buildings on the property. That clears the way for development after the property is subdivided. The board’s unanimous approval, however, requires the owner to maintain walls and landscaping that protect the privacy of the home at 598 S. County Road.
In 1995, billionaire John W. Kluge combined five properties on Middle Road and El Bravo Way under the address 89 Middle Road through a unity of title document, according to architect Harold Smith. Attorney Gregory Young said the current owner, seasonal resident Peter Wood, plans to undo the unity of title and split the property.
The buildings cleared for demolition are the two-story main house, which was significantly changed and nearly doubled in a 1995 renovation; a two-story garage/staff apartment behind the main house; and a one-story staff cottage in the northwest corner of the property.
Architectural historian and researcher Jane Day, a former preservation consultant for Palm Beach, said the architectural integrity of the main house was destroyed by the 1995 renovation and expansion.
The landmarks board reviewed the demolition request because Audita – the 1921 Addison Mizner-designed home on the property – was designated a landmark in 1991, a few years before Kluge created the compound.
Kluge died in 2010. The estate was on the market for nearly five years before it sold in April.
Real estate observers have said that the property would likely have been easier to sell had it been subdivided by Columbia.
More Holdings
Wood owns the property through his W-One International Group. The company announced Tuesday that broker Christian J. Angle of Christian J. Angle Real Estate will be handling real estate transactions for Wood in Palm Beach.
In addition to owning the estate, Wood is building himself a new oceanfront home nearby at 101 Via Marina on property he bought in 2014. His company also owns an oceanfront vacant lot next door, for which the town has approved a new home, as well as a house on Clarke Avenue.
Wood was represented by agent John O. Pickett III of Brown Harris Stevens when he bought 89 Middle Road. The property had been co-listed by agents Carole Hogan and Carol Digges of Brown Harris Stevens and agents Paulette Koch and Dana Koch of the Corcoran Group.
A native of England who made his fortune in the insurance business, Wood was recently knighted by Queen Elizabeth II as part of her 90th birthday honors to recognize his business and philanthropic contributions.
