The barrier islands off the south coast of Pinellas County have long been a magnet for those seeking a home that feels like you are on vacation. South of the big pink Loews Don CeSar beachfront resort, which opened in 1928, Gulf Boulevard, the main road running along the beaches fronting the Gulf of Mexico, narrows to form a shaded two lanes that seems to take one back in time. Here, people who respect craftsmanship occasionally find Nirvana. Historic Pass-A-Grille is a charming beach community nestled at the south tip of St. Pete Beach, just 30 minutes from Tampa International Airport. It is known for its white sandy beaches, beautiful sunsets, quant business district, shelling, fishing, boating, beautiful weather and strong sense of community. It truly is Paradise.
The stories and pictures of Pass-a-Grille’s early days fill volumes at the Gulf Beaches Historical Mus
eum, housed in the community’s first church, built on Ninth Avenue between 1915 and 1916. The famous Sunshine School, built between 23rd and 24th Avenues, opened in the fall of 1926. Four years later, the Scott family selected a two oversized waterfront lots for their English Tudor style, winter vacation home on the inter-coastal waterway, halfway between the church and the school, and halfway from the Don Cesar to Pass-a-Grille’s tip. The address is 1601 Pass-A-Grille Way. The historic 8th Avenue shopping and dining district is just a few blocks away.
The site offered a beautiful view of the sunrise over the water to the east, and an unobstructed view of spectacular sunsets over the Gulf to the west. Access to the Gulf was close and easy, just around the tip of Pass-a-Grille, with no bridges to deal with, ever. While some of the homes on the island were inexpensively constructed weekend cottages at the beach, a handful, like this one were designed to be far more substantial, built to stand for centuries. The Scott’s had that kind of heritage in mind when they built their distinctive winter home there.
Eighty years later, when the family’s surviving sisters decided to allow the property to leave the family, they chose Pass-a-Grille’s oldest real estate company, Frank Hurley & Associates to represent them. Their associate of choice, one of Hurley’s newest was Melinda Pletcher. She turned out to be the perfect person for the job. Melinda has served as chairperson of the City of St. Pete Beach’s Historic Board for five years. “I had seen the home with it’s distinctive turret on the southwest corner across from Hurley Park for years and wondered about it,” said Melinda, who sold $3 million in real estate her first year in the business. “When I stepped inside, I immediately fell in love with the property.”
“The house had been a winter retreat its entire life, seldom being occupied for more than a month each year, so in its eighty year life, it appears to have seen less wear than a typical home that is only ten years old.” Still, the years of exposure and lack of attention had taken a toll. “I told the owners that they would have to invest in the property to get the kind of selling price they wanted. Melinda turned out to be the perfect agent for the property. Her love for history and originality helped propel her through a four-month long restoration that has left the property looking better than new in many respects. “Walking in the front door is like stepping back in time. The original walnut stained white oak hardwood floors, vintage floor tiles, pecky cypress cathedral ceiling in the great room, with its fireplace and mantle of Canadian pink granite, give one a feeling of solidity, permanency, comfort and strength.” That feeling is compounded by professional staging. “We kept the best of the home’s original furniture, but thinned it out to make it easier for a buyer to see the many incredible built-in closets, storage areas and custom features of the home.” The original lights glisten from the rustic beam ceiling, while Melinda explains that the entire wiring in the house and in the boathouse were updated to current code during the restoration process.
Continuing through the Great Room to the Large Florida ‘bay room’ with its extensive open water view to the east, you see the very substantial fishing and boating dock, built of Brazilian Hardwood, with room for a boat up to 100 feet long. This provides a glimpse of what life was like when the building next door was still an active boathouse, and the apartment over it was home to the captain of the family’s boat, “Scotty”.
“The ‘Boathouse’ was impacted by tropical storm Debbie on June 24th, 2012, and was destined to be demolished,” continues Melinda. “It was such a substantial part of the property that I couldn’t let that happen. With the help of a structural engineer, and an excellent contractor, we’ve brought it up to current code, giving the next owner of the property lots of options.” Between the main house and the ‘Boathouse’, a gate and wall, finished with stucco to match the buildings, provides privacy without seeming ‘stand-offish”. A walkway connects the oversized two-car garage in front of the boathouse with the ‘mud-room’ north side entrance, off the kitchen, providing a perfect place for a washer and dryer, next to the built-in ironing board.
Entering the kitchen, the inside of the turret catches your full attention, serving as a breakfast nook, with very unusual all-wood trim. The view from the nook is to the west and south. You see across Pass-A-Grille Way to Hurley Park with its recreation building, baseball diamond, tennis and basketball courts and on to the white sand, the sea oats and the blue Gulf beyond, just over a city block away. You know that the view of the sunset here must be nothing short of spectacular. After all, St. Pete Beach is the Sunset Capitol of Florida. Parking for parties and events can be a challenge for most homeowners in Pass-a-Grille, but not here. There are literally hundreds of parking spaces within a block, dozens within a few steps. A banquet-sized dining room a courtyard patio and large outdoor patio & lawns with beautiful landscaping, make it the perfect place for entertaining, even a wedding, or a large family gathering. The three bedrooms in the main house and the ‘boathouse’ apartment have a rental history as well. Best location in all of Pass-A-Grille with recreational facilities and sandy beach just steps away!
Property upgrades in 2012 include: new roofs, new electrical, structural work on boathouse, new sea wall cap, new landscaping, new exterior paint & awnings and new interior paint.…
If you know someone of means who is looking for a distinctive address on the inter-coastal, who would enjoy living across the street from the ‘new’ Pass-A-Grille Community Church, let them know that Castillo de Arena, the Sandcastle, is on the market for just under $2.5 million. Even at that price, there is nothing like it in this part of the world, and with the improving economy, and low interest rates, I predict it won’t be on the market for long. Have them contact Melinda Pletcher at Hurley Associates, 2506 Pass-a-Grille Way, 727-367-1949, on her direct line at 727-455-6633 or by email at mpletcher@hotmail.com. To see more photos, google the address and visit Zillow.com.
Date: February 2013