Former Seahawks owner, developer’s monumental Northern California estate lists at $25M

A significant San Francisco Bay Area property commissioned by Ken Behring — the late real estate developer who founded the Blackhawk Country Club and owned the Seattle Seahawks — was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water” house in Pennsylvania.

Spanning 26,627 square feet, the main residence combines natural elements within the architectural design. There are seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms on 4.5 acres overlooking Mount Diablo, the rolling hillside and the Blackhawk Country Club that Behring built.

Behring, who died in 2019 at age 91, developed thousands of homes throughout the Bay Area. The Behring Estate sits at 81 Eagle Ridge Place in Blackhawk — a community east of Oakland and north of Dublin, California.

“This estate is a masterpiece of design, craftsmanship, and luxury and the dream of an extraordinary visionary who took 5,000 acres of rolling hills at the base of (Mount) Diablo and created Blackhawk, one of the most sought-after communities and treasure for those seeking an exclusive East Bay residence,” the official property listing says.

Listing agent Joujou Chawla of Compass called the property “awe-inspiring.”

“The first time I walked into the Behring Estate to meet the trustees to discuss the sale, I have to admit I had goosebumps,” listing agent Joujou Chawla of Compass told the Sacramento Bee in an email. “The history steeped in this home is immense. The Behrings built their magnificent house at the peak of the construction of Blackhawk in 1988, which itself was one of the first luxury centrally-planned communities of the East Bay. They brought their love of architecture, design, horticulture and art all together to craft a masterpiece unlike any other estate in the area.”

The breathtaking property is for sale for $25 million.

“My father Ken Behring was always a visionary,” his son, David, said in an interview and video tour of the property (see above). “This really became clear when he developed the Blackhawk property.”

Endless amenities and entertaining

The home stands out in so many ways, from endless amenities and entertainment value, to masterful design, gorgeous landscaping and notable art work.

The estate’s centerpiece, however, is a dramatic, 7,000-square-foot, granite-floor ballroom with multiple plush lounging areas. The stunning room is lit by nine crystal chandeliers hanging from black ceilings with silver speckles. It also has a nightclub-style wrap-around bar.

“It’s designed for entertaining,” David Behring said. “My mother and father loved to have large groups of people. They enjoyed being part of the community. They enjoyed having friends and other people come and enjoy this ballroom.”

Other desirable features include:

▪ 10,000-bottle, temperature-controlled wine room behind floor-to-ceiling glass, and a tasting room featured in the Wine Spectator Magazine

▪ A chef’s kitchen and casual dining area with sliding glass doors that access a kitchen garden and outdoor dining patios.

▪ Retractable ceiling, steam shower and sauna in the primary bathroom

▪ Full private kitchen off the primary bedroom

▪ Hidden, roll-up entry opens to a shining garage meant for showing off exotic car collections

▪ Multiple-level outdoor koi ponds

▪ Outdoor dining pavilion with full kitchen.

▪ Indoor waterfall

▪ Tennis court and plaster pool resembling a lagoon

Landscaping, art is world class

The compound also encompasses two detached one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments.

The builders installed a special water filtration system to hydrate the teak ceilings found throughout the house.

Behring built the compound in partnership with Dahlin Group and contractor Michael DeBene. Celebrity designer Steve Chase (who also designed the Behring Auto Museum) took on the interior design, while Craig Roberts, who’s been the lighting architect for numerous luxurious restaurants and private residences around the world, lent his talents to illuminating the mansion.

The landscaping work fell to Kimio Kimura, a master gardener from Japan and Bay Area Japanese landscape architect who designed the Hayward Japanese Tea Garden.

Sculptor Salvatore Pecoraro designed the 18-foot-high, 17-ton sculpture in front.

Some of the well-known artists with work that will sell with the home include:

▪ Bruce Johnson, known for his redwood sculptures

▪ Barry Flannagan, known for his bronze statues of animals

▪ Stanley Boxer: known for thickly painted abstract works of art

“Once my father decided on this hilltop as a place to build his final estate, he assembled one of the finest teams of designers to come up with Falling Water,” David Behring said. “That was the name they gave it originally, because it was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s majestic masterpiece ... in Pennsylvania.”