Developer Bob Nelson said late last year that 21 Royal Club, his luxury townhouse project on Royal Palm Pointe, was “on the fast track” – and events are bearing him out.
Nelson and his partners paid $1.9 million for the building site on Dec. 1. In the two and a half months since, the substantial building on the property has been knocked down and hauled away, the site prepared for construction and site plan approval secured. Nelson has hired one of the top builders on the island, Joe Foglia, as general contractor, his architecture and interior design team are in place, and one unit has already been spoken for.
Foglia is excited about the project. With site plan approval in hand and construction plans well along in the review process at the county, he expects to break ground by mid-March on the four-home development at 21 Royal Palm Pointe, on the site of the old Cafe du Soir. No trace remains of building where the popular French restaurant and a chandelier store were located for many years.
Anyone interested in owning one of the units, priced from $1.87 million to $2.1 million, should act fast, says Michael Thorpe, broker and co-owner of Treasure Coast Sotheby’s International Realty. Thorpe and Sotheby’s co-owner Kimberly Hardin Thorpe are handling marketing and sales for the project, and Thorpe expects the three unsold units will be snapped before construction is complete next fall.
What prompted Nelson to purchase the .57-acre property, with 200 front feet along the south canal, was not only its highly desirable waterfront location, but also the hotel and restaurant Quail Valley Club is building at the end of Royal Palm Pointe. The timing was perfect. Nelson knew the luxury dwellings he envisioned would be a natural for Quail members, giving them access to club dining and socializing a few steps from their front doors.
The new facility will also provide easy access to Quail’s main River Club across the lagoon. A custom-built 26-person launch will ferry members and guests back and forth every half hour between the River Club and the Royal Palm Pointe campus.
“I thought, what a great match!” Nelson says.
“The tipping point was Quail Valley,” Thorpe agrees.
The four townhomes have been designed with the affluent empty-nester in mind, says Thorpe. “As I see it, they want to simplify, but are used to the finer things. They don’t even want to look at an estate home and all the maintenance that requires. They may want to travel in their golden years, just enjoy life. They require a lock-and-leave residence, with a sense of ambiance, but in a more efficient package. With the creativity and artistry of our team, the evolution of the project resulted in a seductive package for the empty-nester.”
The exteriors will be concrete block and stucco, with tile roofs. At 38 feet wide, the units are much broader than the typical townhouse. Each two-story, 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath unit offers approximately 3,000 square feet of living area, with a sumptuous first-floor master suite, including a spacious and absolutely lavish bathroom for the lady of the house. Covered porches and balconies will offer another 1,000 square feet of outdoor living space and wonderful water views. Other features include: island kitchen, all stainless steel appliances, walk-in closet, wet bar, and luxury finishes throughout, including marble floors and crown molding. Options include a pool package, elevator, boat lift, and media area with surround sound.
Each unit will have a two-car, air-conditioned garage and not one but two boat slips, with easy access to the Intracoastal.
Security features include motion detectors, security system, video camera, and a wall around the entire property.
Thorpe remarks that, “I see people becoming more cognizant of the building codes and structural integrity and, therefore, seeking new construction over existing properties.” The 21 Royal Club project meets and exceeds all existing codes.
Unlike most multi-family projects, 21 Royal Club buyers will be able to choose their interior style according to their individual taste. Says Thorpe, “We have the right builder and the right designer (Page Franzel) assessing the needs of discerning people.”
“It won’t be vanilla boxes,” promises Franzel, owner of Page 2 Design, whose office is just across the road from the townhome site. “That will certainly be part of the allure. The interiors can be customized to the owner’s taste – from contemporary to traditional and,” she adds, this flexibility is possible “by having the architect, developer, contractor and interior designer working together as a team.”
That, says Foglia, “is very unusual in a multi-family project.”
The dynamic 21 Royal Club team brings a diversity of talent and a wealth of experience, creativity and success to the project: Nelson, a visionary developer with four decades of experience and hundreds of units of various types to his credit; Foglia, a high-energy luxury home builder whose recent local projects include a just-completed $40 million, 44,000-square-foot estate home on 7.5 acres of oceanfront in the Estate Section on the island; Thorpe, who owns one of the island’s most successful real estate companies and who has brokered numerous high-end luxury properties and developments; renowned architect Jeff Ray, IA, Atelier d’ Architecture, whose 21 Royal Club design enhances the property, complements the views and maintains functionality; and Franzel, with 30 years’ experience working with corporate, residential and hospitality clients, and a gift for discerning clients’ tastes and desires.
“We got together and we just clicked,” says Thorpe.
“Bottom line, we’ve got the best team, the best location and the best product,” Nelson says.
The four units are priced according to proximity to the lagoon – pre-construction prices ranging from $2.095 million for Unit 4, the easternmost; to $1.945 million for Unit 2, to $1.870 million, for Unit 1, on the west end. Unit 3 is sold.
21 Royal Club is slated to be complete by early November, just about the same time Quail Valley’s hotel and restaurant will open for business. Perfect timing.
Today, Royal Palm Pointe is becoming a destination, with riverfront shops, galleries, salons and restaurants, lighted sidewalks perfect for evening strolls, and a colorful riverfront park with an interactive fountain play area. Via bridge or boat, it’s close to the beach, Riverside Theatre, the Museum of Art, and the Vero Dog Park, and central to shopping and dining on both sides of the Indian River Lagoon. With the completion of 21 Royal Club and the Quail Valley projects, it will gain even greater appeal.
