Listed at $40M, a Palm Beach house is being restored in historic enclave near Mar-a-Lago

Palm Beach jazz musician and radio personality Bob Merrill has listed for sale — at a cool $40 million — the lakefront house he has been restoring and renovating in the historic Regents Park enclave just south of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.

A buyer at this point could step into the in-construction project and customize the interiors, Merrill said, because much of the heavy lifting — literally — has already been done at the Palm Beach Regency-style house, which was completed in 1959 at 500 Regents Park Road.

A key part of the renovation so far, Merrill said, was a complex project that raised the foundation by about 2 feet to meet new floodplain regulations — even though the town did not require that work because the house stands in a neighborhood designated historic. Crews installed new underground pilings rather than more standard footings that could settle over time, according to Merrill.

Town-approved plans for the restoration also called for strengthening the exterior walls; replacing the garage doors; reconfiguring the covered terrace; and installing a new pool, spa, patios and landscaping.

The installation of impact-resistant windows should begin this month, Merrill said.

“With the raised foundation and the new windows, the house is going to be a fortress against the elements,” he added.

MAR-A-LAGO SOLD? NOT SO FAST: Oops! Eric Trump denies Mar-a-Lago sold for $422 million; Zillow admits listing error

The overall project should be completed in time for the 2024-25 season, Merrill said, adding that he plans to finish the project whether or not it sells beforehand.

Christened Regents Hall, the residence is among Regents Park’s five homes, all built in the 1950s by the late developer Clarence Mack. Regents Park is one of the town's few architecturally protected historical districts, meaning that the homes’ exteriors cannot be significantly altered without the permission of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Drivers entering Regents Park from South Ocean Boulevard directly face Merrill’s house at the far end of the cul-de-sac’s landscaped allée. On a half-acre lot, the residence fronts about 100 feet on the Intracoastal Waterway.

The houses on the street feature many of Mack’s architectural signatures, including classical-style exterior details, clean-lined silhouettes, flat roofs, 12-foot ceilings and symmetrical floor plans.

BEYOND MARGARITAVILLE: Take a look at the homes Jimmy Buffett bought and sold in wealthy Palm Beach

Merrill, whose mother is longtime Palm Beacher Hillie Mahoney, bought the property in March 2020, his first residential purchase in Palm Beach County. He paid businessman Eddy J. Louis a recorded $7.5 million for the six-bedroom house with 7,326 square feet of living space, inside and out.

The house is co-listed by Waterfront Properties and Club Communities real estate agent Tamara “T.J.” Jeanne-Fisher and agency owner Rob Thomson. Fisher represented Merrill in his 2020 purchase, when she had the house co-listed with agent David J. Ferreria of Donohue Real Estate Palm Beach.

Jeanne-Fisher’s latest listing describes the in-the-works house as “a serene oasis sanctuary that exudes true Palm Beach style.”

Merrill is a jazz trumpeter, pianist, arranger, vocalist and bandleader who has performed at the Kravis Center and charitable events in Palm Beach. He also is among the on-air hosts on Palm Beach County-based station Legends Radio 100.3 FM.

In addition to the Regents Park project, Merrill is renovating a 1920s-era Tudor-style residence designed by noted architect Harrie T. Lindeberg in Locust Valley, New York.

“I love restoring architectural gems,” Merrill said, adding that the Regents Park house had plenty of “deferred maintenance” issues when he bought it.

The Palm Beach property had been on the market for 15 years at that point with different agencies.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Bob Merrill buys house near Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach for $7.5 million, deed shows

Architect and Landmarks Preservation Commissioner Jacqueline Albarran of SKA Architect + Planner designed the restoration on Regents Park Road. She worked closely on the project with landscape architect Mario Nievera of Nievera Williams Landscape Architecture and contractor Kyle H. Pake of PBB Construction.

“It will have the features of a new house,” Merrill said, “but it’s still the original house. That’s something (noteworthy) in this day and age of knockdowns.”

In addition to the restoration, the property has other selling points, he added, including its proximity to the recently rebuilt Southern Boulevard bridge and its direct views of the Bingham Islands bird sanctuary in the waterway. The property is also permitted for a dock.

To see more images of 500 Regents Park Road, click the photo gallery at the top of this page.

Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly “Beyond the Hedges” column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Email dhofheinz@pbdailynews.com, call 561-820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach historic house lists at $40 million while under restoration