By Katherine Clarke
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Developer Aldo Stark is a longtime Ferrari enthusiast and collector who has visited the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy.
So for his latest spec-home project in Delray Beach, Fla., he wanted car-lovers to be in the driver's seat. The roughly 22,000-square-foot home, named Casa Maranello in a nod to the factory location, is now going on the market for $55 million.
The house is geared toward auto enthusiasts, said Stark's wife and co-developer, Fiorenna Stark. "A friend of my husband's said to him, 'What if the guy that wants to buy your house doesn't collect cars?' He said, 'Then this is not a house for him.'"
The fully furnished house has a vintage Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa on display, and an "auto gallery" for 12 cars is visible from the living room. The gallery has transparent sliding doors to blend seamlessly with the living spaces, while a carbon monoxide detector ensures that toxic fumes don't invade the house.
The Starks spent tens of millions of dollars building the six-bedroom house, she said, after paying around $3.4 million for the lot early last year. The home was completed several weeks ago.
Casa Maranello is one of five properties that the Starks are developing in the Stone Creek Ranch gated community, including one for his own family, his wife said. One of them, adjacent to Casa Maranello, is already in contract to sell in an off-market deal in the $50 million range, Fiorenna said. If it closes, the deal will set a new benchmark for pricing in the area, which has previously topped out at $34 million, according to Senada Ad em of Douglas Elliman, the listing agent for both properties.
Casa Maranello has lavish touches such as backlit agate coffee tables and chandeliers made from clusters of crystals. Onyx is a recurring theme throughout the house, which has onyx walls, a 20-person onyx dining table and a 30-foot tiger skin onyx bar. A closet has four onyx islands and five chandeliers. Some of the onyx pieces light up, thanks to an LED lighting system.
The bar area is stocked with high-end liquor, including LOUIS XIII cognac by Remy Martin, which can run as much as $4,000 a bottle and is included in the sale price.
The house also has a Bulgari Hotels-inspired spa with an indoor pool, Himalayan salt room, steam room and sauna. Other amenities include a fitness center and a home theater with seating for 12 people. One of the largest bathrooms has side-by-side couple's showers.
Outside, there is a 95-foot pool and a cabana with a bathroom, kitchen and bar. The grounds also include a sports court, a soccer field and a putting green.
Fiorenna said she and her husband aimed to inspire awe in prospective buyers.
"People with that kind of success and money, this is what they want," she said. "They don't want a house with drywall everywhere. They don't want a living room with just one chandelier. They want 'wow.'"
All of the furnishings are included with the sale of the property. The cars aren't, but the Starks might be willing to part with some in a separate negotiation.
Fiorenna said she was surprised when her husband decided to display the Ferrari in the salon.
"I didn't know about that," she said with a laugh. "I put all my beautiful custom velvet pieces in the living room. The next day I show up, and there it is. I'm like, 'What the hell is this?' He's like, 'It's part of the furniture.'"
The Starks have developed roughly 40 homes over the years in the Fort Lauderdale area, Fiorenna said. The highest price they have obtained for a property until now is around $30 million, she said. Next, they aspire to build in Palm Beach proper.
"My husband said, 'I am building on the water in Palm Beach for Trump one day,'" she said.
With strict security protocols, Stone Creek Ranch has 37 homes, most of which sit on about 2.5 acres apiece. Billionaire hedge-fund manager and New York Mets owner Steven Cohen paid $21.6 million for a home there in 2021.
Write to Katherine Clarke at Katherine.Clarke@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 21, 2024 16:00 ET (21:00 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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