After would-be buyers looked but took a pass on the sprawling riverfront mansion that was home to the late billionaire H. Wayne Huizenga in Fort Lauderdale, the property is headed for auction next month.
The auction of the 20,653-square-foot estate, known for its bell tower and status as a prime attraction for waterborne tourists traversing the New River, will take place from March 26 to 28.
Huizenga — founder of the Fortune 500 companies Waste Management, AutoNation, and Blockbuster Video — also was co-owner of three South Florida sports teams, the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers and Florida Marlins. He died last year after a long bout with cancer at age 80.
Located at 1575 Ponce De Leon Drive, the property occupies 1.41 acres and offers over 590 feet of riverfront with room for mega yachts that extend up to 135 feet.
The estate is a five-building compound that contains 10 bedrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the water, safe rooms, a billiards room, theater, gym and an elevator. There also is a wood-burning pizza oven.
A popular viewing point for tour companies operating boat rides around Fort Lauderdale’s waterways, the estate is widely known for its prominent three-story gazebo with a clock tower.
Huizenga acquired the home in 2005 from Michael Egan, a friend and business associate who founded and chaired Alamo Rent A Car. Egan and his wife acquired the property in 1991 for $3.6 million.
The estate was listed last August by Drum Realty, four months after Huizenga’s death. Although the brokerage said at the time that the estate was attracting considerable interest, no one stepped forward to plunk down the $27 million asking price, which still stands today.
The listing is now held by Billy Nash, of Nash Luxury at The Keyes Co.
“If you look at that property, there is pretty much nothing in Broward County that has riverfront that totals over two football fields,” Nash said Thursday. “Mr. Huizenga was a sports guy, so he would appreciate that analogy.”
Nash said bidders must post a $250,000 deposit to participate in the auction and show proof of funds. He said he is conducting open houses by appointment daily, seven days a week, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“There is no set price to open the bidding, so there will be multiple bidders who will compete for the property based on the demand,” he said.
Concierge Properties, based in New York, is managing the auction. The company is just coming off a $42 million sale of a luxury property in Hillsboro Beach for $42 million.
The firm is also auctioning a nine-bedroom, 14,000-square-foot Coral Gables estate at 41 Arvida Parkway for $68 million. The bidding, in conjunction with Marc Hameroff of Engel & Völkers, opens March 19 and closes March 22. That estate is surrounded by 574 feet of double-sided Biscayne Bay water frontage. Amenities include an executive office/library, nanny suite, tri-level terraces, and separate captain’s quarters adjacent to a protected dock that can accommodate a 200-foot mega yacht.
Why auction a luxury property?
“We will leave no rock unturned to find a buyer for this property,” Nash said of the Huizenga estate
“When you’re showcasing such an amazing piece of property, you have to do the justice that it deserves,” he said. “We just don’t put a property up on the market, cross our fingers and hope it sells.”
David Lyons can be reached at 954-356-4340, dvlyons@sun-sentinel.com twitter: @davidvlyons