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Cheering472

SoWal Insider
Nov 3, 2005
5,299
354
No, most of your comments fall into the 3% category. However, I doubt that even 1.000 employees could finish the Hilton House. The problems are not just labor related.

I've always been interested in your neighborhood. I knew your house right away from the avatar view. I wondered where the beach access is from your home.
 
No, most of your comments fall into the 3% category. However, I doubt that even 1.000 employees could finish the Hilton House. The problems are not just labor related.

My tile installers worked on the job and there may be product selections etc, and things other than construction, but I feel certain, as far as construction goes, Mr. Hilton's people complete that whole job on the date and time of his choosing.

It's got to be outside the scope of construction related delay, as is usually the case when you deal with that complex creature, the human being.
 

seagrovegirl

Beach Fanatic
Feb 9, 2008
3,885
454
Historic Old Point Washington
How many years has it been since construction started on the Hilton House? Four?

Obviously, it is very complex construction....guess I am just being nosy as to why it is taking so long. The house is fascinating!
 

Santiago

Beach Fanatic
May 29, 2005
635
91
seagrove beach
The way I understood it Doodle sold those lots to Charles Hilton or an entitiy he owns for about 275 each, which is pretty good for huge gulf front lots abutting Alys. Making Paradise lots oversized and delivering value was an important part of Doodle completing the whole transaction from Paradise to Rosemary. I was lucky enough to have talked to Doodle many times about his trips to New York to visit with LUK's exec's and his negotiations. I bet Mickey Whitaker and Bill Smith could write a pretty amazing and educational book about the sub-dividing and development of all that amazing property.

I thought Doodle sold that track to Geoff Wilder who ultimately sold it to LUK.
 
I thought Doodle sold that track to Geoff Wilder who ultimately sold it to LUK.

I hope it's not in bad taste to talk about. I'm relaying it the way I understand it from my talks with Doodle because I found it intriguing. The Rosemary tract was sold to LUK in 2 phases. 1 South of 30A, the other North of 30A. I understood that Doodle had all the land in the original Barber tract in his control and the South Rosemary tract went to LUK before the North tract. How the South went from Doodle to LUK I don't know. I was just told that Rosemary was to be only South of 30A in its original plan.

What I do understand was that when the North 30A tract for Rosemary was in negotiation for purchase by LUK, Doodle flew to meet with LUK executives, including Joseph Steinberg, in NY and, instead of starting the negotiation with LUK's purchase of the North, Doodle turned the negotiation upside down by asking LUK what their expected return was going to be on the development of the North. They responded with their anticipated total return and, instead of moving forward with North talks, Doodle presented LUK with an offer, and a check, to purchase the South parcel back from them at that same rate of return.

Of course LUK rejected the offer to sell back the South parcel. This made it apparent that it was much more valuable to LUK than they previously had said and set the stage for continued negotiations on the North tract with Doodle in a much more fertile and advantageous position.

Pretty simple negotiating gambit on his part, but so exacting at the same time.
 
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PTWizard

Beach Lover
Jan 17, 2005
80
0
Columbus, OH
I've always been interested in your neighborhood. I knew your house right away from the avatar view. I wondered where the beach access is from your home.

The avatar view is looking southeast. If you looked southwest at about the same angle you'd see the beach access, about 50 yards from the end of our driveway.
 

PTWizard

Beach Lover
Jan 17, 2005
80
0
Columbus, OH
How many years has it been since construction started on the Hilton House? Four?

Obviously, it is very complex construction....guess I am just being nosy as to why it is taking so long. The house is fascinating!

Construction on the the Hilton House began in 1999. One reason, but not the only reason, it has taken so long to build is that eveything in this home, from the structural steel to the windows and doors are of a custome made one of a kind design. For an interesting look at the structural steel check out the photos of this home on arthurdyson.com.
 

30ashopper

SoWal Insider
Apr 30, 2008
6,846
3,471
56
Right here!
Construction on the the Hilton House began in 1999. One reason, but not the only reason, it has taken so long to build is that eveything in this home, from the structural steel to the windows and doors are of a custome made one of a kind design. For an interesting look at the structural steel check out the photos of this home on arthurdyson.com.

"Primary rooms are suspended on concrete pods at various levels within a greenhouse structure of coral-tinted reflective glazing. One interior stairway encircles a glass-enclosed elevator, while another winds around fully grown native palms. The top lacuna of an exterior two-level saltwater swimming pool fountains into the lower basin, then enters the interior by flowing beneath the edge of a glazed wall. Tiered roof wings sweep upward, forming a series of clerestories that shield the open floor plan from excessive sun exposure while presenting unobstructed views of the oceanfront during daytime and allowing stargazing at night. Remote-controlled fabric panels placed strategically over the glazing provide additional solar protection."

Wow.
 
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