A home built on the Florida coast on land once owned by Billy Joel is now up for sale.
The newly built three-story home is on the market for $84.8 million, in partnership with listing agents Carla Ferreira-Smith and Philip Lyle Smith of Luxury Resort Portfolio.
Retired automotive executive Frank A. Mennella and his wife, Dolores, purchased the land from Joel in 2018 for $7.5 million, according to Mansion Global, and the two of them built the 16,582-square-foot, six-bedroom and 13-bathroom home.
“Every inch of the property has been custom-commissioned and/or crafted from the finest and most luxurious resources,” Ferreira-Smith said in a statement. “The seamless integration of indoor and outdoor living spaces ensures that you can make the most of Florida’s beautiful weather, while the high-end amenities and thoughtful design elements create a living experience that is second to none.”
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When building the home, the sellers also included a five-car garage, a glass waterfront elevator, multiple indoor and outdoor bars and huge balconies with ocean views.
In addition to the bedrooms and the common areas of the home, the estate also includes a wine cellar, two bowling alleys, a movie theater, a game room, a billiard room, a craft and hobby room, as well as a gym.
A spa and wellness center can also be found on the property with a massage room and a large steam room, as well as a large infinity pool.
One unique feature of the home is a secret tunnel that leads from the house to the 1,200-square-foot beachside cabana. The home also features a 150-foot oceanfront balcony.
Joel is opening up about the early days of his career in the new documentary “Billy Joel: And So It Goes…” In the film, the “Piano Man” singer goes into detail about falling in love and having an affair with the wife of his best friend at the time, Jon Small, whom he was also in the band Atilla with.
According to People, Joel moved in with Small, his wife Elizabeth Weber and their son, when he was in his early 20s. In the documentary, Weber called their friendship a “slow build,” which ended with Joel telling Small, “I’m in love with your wife.”
“I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker,” Joel admitted in the documentary, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. “I was just in love with a woman, and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset.”
The fallout from the affair led to two suicide attempts by Joel, who said he later realized he should “utilize all those emotions” he was feeling and “channel that stuff into music.”
He was recently in the news after announcing the cancellation of all his concerts following a diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), which affects his vision, hearing and balance.
“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” the statement read. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health.”
Following concern from his fans, Joel told People magazine he is doing fine, letting his fans know not to “worry about me being deathly ill or anything.”
