Villa Am Meer nears new era

The historic Villa Am Meer residence survived storms, surrounding development and foreclosure during the past 79 years.

But perhaps its biggest triumph over time came last fall, when developer Jay Tallman, of Ascentia Realty Group, announced plans to construct the 16-unit, four-story Aria condominium project on the five-acre property.

Instead of tearing down the building, Tallman opted to restore the Villa Am Meer home to use as a sales office first, and eventually, as a clubhouse.

Tallman expects to begin construction of the condo project in June, after the town permits the project, but restoration of the storied home is nearly complete.

The home has a rich history that is the subject of a blog at joybaker.com/category/villa-am-meer.

A German immigrant named Dr. Hermann Kohl purchased the property during the Great Depression in 1932, two years after he was indicted on federal bootlegging charges. After Prohibition ended in late 1933, the charges were dropped, and Kohl built Villa Am Meer in 1935 as a winter retreat. Original John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art architect John H. Phillips designed Villa Am Meer.

Kohl went on to invest what amounted to a 49% stake in what became Tropicana Products Inc. in the 1940s.

Kohl and his wife, Hertha, were childless, but adopted Elena Amaducci, the daughter of their Italian gardeners.

Amaducci married into the Benedict family, which is why the property is sometimes referred to as the Benedict Estate.

In 1993, the family sold the southern parcel of the property totaling just less than seven acres to the developers of the 38-unit Villa di Lancia. That part of the property once held tennis courts and a swimming pool.

The Tampa-based Statewide Associates purchased the remaining part of the property, which included the main residence, guest home and carriage house, for $18 million from Edward Benedict’s daughter, Elise Browne, in 2006. The company planned to build 30 townhomes on it and renovate the original home into a clubhouse.

Court records show that BBC Key LLC became the owner of the property in 2009, after it went into foreclosure three years after the $18 million sale.

Tallman announced plans for the $60 million project last September. Since then, the guest home and carriage house have been demolished in preparation for construction. At press time, 13 of the 16 residences were reserved; prices range from $3.44 million to $4.25 million.

The home has many features and modern amenities, including new furniture (along with some newly purchased antiques) and a new clay-tile roof. Its old living room has been transformed into a gathering room, and the old kitchen has been split in half between a new catering facility and wine cellar that will be accessible to each resident. The home’s master bedroom and bathroom are being renovated into a suite where residents’ guests can stay.

But many of its features have been restored, including the floors, exterior stonework and stained-glass windows.

“We took every pane of glass out and reconditioned it and repainted it,” said project representative Amy Drake.

Remnants of the Kohls’ life in the home are still visible. On the floor of the old dining room — which now holds project renderings and models — workers recently patched up a hole. It’s the spot where Hertha Kohl once tapped on a buzzer to let workers in the servants’ quarters below know when she needed their assistance.

Drake estimates Tallman will have spent approximately $1 million to restore the home by the time work is completed.

“This is as close to the original as we could keep it,” she said.

Project timeline
September 2013 — Jay Tallman announced plans for the 16-unit Aria project and the restoration of the historic Villa Am Meer residence to use as a community clubhouse.

Jan. 22, 2014 — The Longboat Key Planning & Zoning Board approved the project; reservations opened the same day.

June 2014 — Tallman hopes to begin construction after receiving permits from the town.

Fall 2015 — The project is slated for completion.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected]