Francesco Pontrandolfo and his wife, Maria Fogliano, of Scarsdale, New York, had a two-step plan in April 2016 when they bought a condominium looking straight out to the ocean on the South End of Palm Beach.
First, they wanted a home they could enjoy during the winter, and second, they planned to establish Florida residency.
But life threw them a curve ball, just as it did to so many others, when the coronavirus pandemic struck in early 2020.
“COVID happened, and we had to put (the idea of Florida residency) on hold a little bit. Then Francesco changed work, and then my father got sick. So every time we had the possibility of coming to change our residency, there was always a little hurdle that got in the way,” Maria says. “It became harder and harder to make that dream come true.”
But as things have smoothed out, their goal of making Palm Beach their primary home is again in sight.
“Now we are here, at this moment,” Maria says.
And that means they are in the market to trade their renovated condominium for a single-family home, perhaps outside West Palm Beach. They are considering a move to the Breakers West golf-course community, because Francesco enjoys playing the links.
As a result, the couple has listed for sale their Palm Beach condo, No. 202W in the 2600 Building at 2600 S. Ocean Blvd. The two-bedroom, two-bath apartment has 1,681 square feet of living space inside and out. Compass Florida agent Thor Brown holds the listing. Priced at $2.695 million, the condo will be sold with open-air parking for two cars and a storage space.
The living-and-dining area and the kitchen are central to the apartment, flanked by the main bedroom suite and a guest suite that can double as a den. These three areas feature window walls of impact-resistant-glass sliding doors that access the oceanview balcony.
The condominium was the couple’s first foray into Palm Beach, and they were attracted by the 2600 Building’s architecture, Maria says. It reminded her of a cruise ship, and when they saw the apartment — with its direct view of the Atlantic — they had to have it, she says. But it needed work.
“The owners had kept it immaculate, but it had to be updated — it still had the oven from when the building was built in 1977,” Maria says.
Working with now-retired architect Richard Crone, they carried out a complete renovation.
“The inspector told us to remove every single wall, so we went down to the studs,” Francesco says, adding that the remodeling project included replacing the electrical and plumbing systems.
“Richard was able to give us a beautiful apartment. His recommendation was to open it up,” Maria says.
As a result, they added new entryway pocket doors from each of the bedrooms to the living area, which gave the unit a more expansive feel.
Crone also figured out a way to add concealed storage spaces and designed built-in shelving, an obvious plus for apartment living, Maria says.
“Everything is super organized,” she says.
Another improvement involved painting the walls a glossy white and installing white glass-tile flooring to reflect light in the apartment.
In the open-concept floorplan, the dining area adjoins the renovated kitchen, which features white and mahogany cabinetry, marble countertops and high-end appliances. Francesco notes that the marble is finished in a product called TuffSkin
“As you know, marble is porous, and with that (surface protection), the marble won’t become a headache,” he says.
Both ensuite bathrooms were renovated with custom cabinetry and marble finishes. The apartment also has an ensuite laundry area.
The development at 2600 S. Ocean Blvd. has three buildings designed by the late Palm Beach architect Gene Lawrence. The property is the sixth development north of the Four Seasons Resort and Spa.
Services include a gatehouse, door personnel and a full-time manager.
The common areas include a heated saltwater pool and a whirlpool spa at the newly renovated pool deck. Other amenities include a fitness center, saunas and a summer kitchen, along with two Har-Tru tennis courts and poolside cabanas. The development also has a private beach.
While the couple look forward to living in a golfing community, they will miss their life by the shore. “The ocean (with the) the sunrise every morning (and) the walks on the beach — those are great,” Maria says.
To see more photos of 202W at 2600 S. Ocean Blvd., click on the photo gallery near the top of this page.
For more than 20 years, Christine Davis has written about Palm Beach real estate in the “On the Market” feature in the Palm Beach Daily News.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Updated Palm Beach condo with straight-on sea views listed at $2.695M
Reporting by Christine Davis, Special to Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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