2750 Gordon Drive (Naples, Florida)

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2750 Gordon Drive goo.gl/maps/4lt0D (subdivided from 2700 Gordon Drive in 1981)

Sales History:

December 2011 to Robert A. Watson - $27.3 million (began multimillion dollar renovation in 2012)
March 2010 to Randal Bellestri - $22 million
January 2001 to Captiva Island Land Trust (controlled by Thomas A Tisbo) - $20 million
January 1995 to Nacon Corp (who re-built/renovated the 1988 house) - $5.7 million
August 1988 sold back to Darlene Stoneburner (Lofgren) - ($1.8 million including new house)
May 1983 from Darlene Stoneburner to W.T. Young (who also owned 2790) - $550,000

(Before 1981, 2750 Gordon Drive was part of 2700 Gordon Drive with 400' of Gulf frontage)

1979 to Donald "Stoney" and Darlene Stoneburner for ($2.1 million for 2700 Gordon)
1934 to Charles Foster Briggs and Beatrice Branch Briggs (Briggs & Stratton) $15,000 - completed mansion for $50,000 in 1936)

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Current Owner, Robert A Watson -

"Dear Bob:

This letter confirms our agreement that you have left your position with Westinghouse effective December 17, 1993 and will, through December 31, 1997, be on a paid leave of absence pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement dated June 9, 1992 (the "Agreement") between you and Westinghouse, other than as amended herein. The cash payments you will receive will include amounts equal to (i) an annual incentive award of $630,000 for calendar year 1993, an annual incentive award of $570,000 for calendar year 1994 and the target annual incentive award of $500,000 for calendar years 1995 through 1997 (in each case less applicable taxes and unreduced to reflect immediate payment), and (ii) an award of $4,000,000 for your outstanding 1992-94 Equity Plus Grant (less applicable taxes and reduced to reflect immediate payment) in lieu of all amounts set forth in clauses (a)(ii) and (iii) of the last paragraph beginning on page 5 of the Agreement. The non-vested portions of your grant equivalent in value to 164,000 shares of Westinghouse common stock vested on December 17, 1993.
Sincerely, ..." [ goo.gl/2ohu4l ]

Less than two weeks later at age 47, Robert A. Watson declared Naples, Florida to be his domicile and some 20 years later not only could he claim to have been the former owner of Naples' 3rd largest house but also the owner of more properties on Gordon Drive's west (Gulf of Mexico) side than almost any since the days of the late Tempel Smith.

Bob is perhaps one of America's most astute real estate investors; when you think of San Francisco, two iconic structures come to mind: the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transamerica pyramid office tower on Montgomery Street. Bob was CEO of Transamerica Financial Corp.in the very early nineties and again in the late nineties until it was sold in 2003. In mid 1992 he took a five year position as head of the troubled finance division of Westinghouse (now CBS) in the city where he had gone to college, Pittsburgh. He made quick work of his task and 16 months later in late 1993 Bob and his wife Joanne ($16 million richer) set up in Naples Florida.

Fast forward to 2011 and Bob, through trusts or in association with Montgomery Street Realty LLC, went on a buying spree of prime Naples beach front properties including the spectacular 2750 Gordon Drive for which he paid $27.3 million. Here is the virtual tour from 2011 for the listing: tours.vht.com/Viewer/PhotoGallery.aspx?ListingID=500211...

Not satisfied with 2750 as it was, a massive 2 year renovation ensued beginning in 2012. Here are some images of the ongoing renovation from early in 2013 - the level of detail and complexity of renovating even a relatively new mansion are evident from these images. The renovation was captured in these photo galleries:

tours.napleskenny.com/public/vtour/display/151746
tours.napleskenny.com/public/vtour/display/151510
tours.napleskenny.com/public/vtour/display/151765
tours.napleskenny.com/public/vtour/display/151511

In late 2011 and early 2012 purchases on Gordon Drive included 4144 Gordon, 4550 Gordon and 4500 Gordon Drive along with three boat houses on Bay Road (end of Gordon Drive). To help cover operating costs, 4550 and 4500 are now rental properties while 4144 sits in disrepair and was most recently used as a parking lot during the construction of Gordon Drive's third longest house at more than 200 feet, number 4355, which is owned by Irl Engelhardt (Peabody Enegry). With the renovations to 2750 almost complete, the Watsons sold their 14 bathroom home in the Estates at Bay Colony, and what was once Naples 3rd largest house at 9663 Mashie court.

www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/aug/27/10-biggest-houses-l...

(more on Robert A Watson in the references at the bottom of the page)

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The history of 2750 eventually becomes the history of 2700 Gordon Drive before the properties were subdivided. The legal name for the properties was Gulf View Estates lots 1 and 2. Today 2750 is the smaller southern section of lot 2. The much larger property at 2700 is the northern section of lot 2 and all of lot 1. Until the late 1970's S.F. (Stephen Foster) Briggs and Beatrice Branch Briggs (he was co-founder of Briggs and Statton www.briggsandstratton.com/ ) owned the combined properties (all of lot 1 and all of lot 2) then referred to as 2700 Gordon Drive or to locals "The Briggs Estate".

The Briggs first came to Naples in 1929 with a group of extremely wealthy friends from Wisconsin all of whom ended up purchasing properties along the Gulf of Mexico in Naples. They were youngish (mid-forties) and some of the wealthiest people in America: William B Uihlein (Schlitz - who purchased 2500 Gordon in 1937 goo.gl/maps/Vm4Dz ), Harry Lynde Bradley (founder of Allen-Bradley) who owned 1880 Gulf Shore Blvd S ( goo.gl/maps/mj62H ) and built the house that is still there today as a show place for a portion of their large art collection) and Armin Schlesinger** (industrialist heir to the Ferdinand Schlesinger (d. 1921) $40 million estate ) who owned the Gulf Front property goo.gl/maps/4g3Ec at what is today #10 16th Ave S (that house has since been demolished and a new one is under construction).

In addition to Briggs & Statton, Stephen Briggs co-founded Outboard Motors Corporation (Evinrude, Johnson, Chirs-Craft, Lawn-Boy). SF Briggs was also an acclaimed nature photographer and conservationist (photographer-ornithologist) with exhibits at the Audubon Society of New York featuring the Birds of Florida. The original building on what is now 2750 was his photo studio and headquarters for Solana Studios where he made his documentaries with some of his work used by Disney. Unfortunately most of his films have not been digitized however one of his most acclaimed docs "The Gooney Bird", which he produced in 1967 was digitized and can be seen on YouTube (below).

SF's love for fast boats included his acquisition in 1964 (at age 77) of an Allied GX ocean racer with a top speed of more than 50 mph, outfitted with twin turbo aluminum diesel engines that alone cost $25,000 each.

The Briggs were great philanthropists and gave generously to the community. S.F. Briggs and his wife Beatrice were the driving force behind Naples Community Hospital, he was a founder and the first Commodore of the Naples yacht club etc. At Glen Sample's (Port Royal founder) request, Beatrice Briggs became benefactor of Port Royal's "Trinity by the Cove" church and she was active in numerous local charities frequently opening their estate for local events. As an example of their generosity, Beatrice donated an apartment building to the Naples Community Hospital in the 1950's.

Consider that in 1950 Briggs had his own executive aircraft, decades before Naples airport (KAPF) became the parking lot for the more than 100 private jets that ferry its wealthy residents back and forth from their homes up north, Stephen Briggs flew on his own DC-3.

(more on Briggs in the references at the bottom of the page)

S.F. Briggs, an an American industrialist in the league of Henry Ford passed away at age 90 on a balmy south west Florida evening, October 16, 1976 in his home at 2700 Gordon Drive. Beatrice Branch Briggs passed away 3 years later. The Briggs Foundation sold the combined property at 2700 for $2.1 million in 1979 to Donald "Stoney" and Darlene M. Stoneburner (Donald passed away in his mid-fifties in 1981). The Stoneburner family were/are land developers, ranchers, citrus farmers and by giving so much back to the community they are part of the fabric that has made Naples what it is today. Many familiar Naples and Collier landmarks can be linked to the Stoneburner family including the Bayfront development, the Courtyard Inn etc.

After the Stoneburners purchased 2700 Gordon the property was subdivided and the smaller irregularly shaped southern section of lot 2 (2750 Gordon) was sold in May of 1983 by Darlene Stoneburner to W.T. Young. Young was the person who brought America JIF peanut butter, RC Cola, etc. and was America's leading breeder of thoroughbred horses; he founded Overbrook Farms. Young paid Darlene $550,000 for the vacant 2750, two years earlier, he had purchased 2790 Gordon (the lot immediately to the south goo.gl/maps/rX8RV) for $950,000. 2790 is the northern portion of Gulf View estates lot 3. Lot 3 had been owned by Tempel Smith who at one time was one of the biggest landowners on Gordon drive and whose family still owns White Sands at 2370 Gordon. Of interest Tempel Smith was also a horse breeder up in Illinois with the world's largest privately owned herd of Lipizzaner Stallions.

Four years later in July of 1988, Darlene sold the larger section of the subdivided property, 2700 Gordon, to Marvin Herb for $4.5 million and at the same time purchased back the smaller section at 2750 that she had sold to WT Young back in 1983. She paid Young $1.8 million for 2750 including a new house on the property. Herb was a bottler of Coca-Cola based in Illinois and still is the current owner of 2700, he and his wife built the two homes that sit on that property. (Young continued to own 2790 until he sold it in 1994)

In 1995, just 7 years after re-purchasing 2750, Darlene Stoneburner/Lofgren (she had remarried in 1985 to Thomas E Lofgren) sold it to NANCON Corporation for $5.7 million. Nancon completely renovated/rebuilt the home and sold it in 2004 to Thomas A Tisbo (Captiva Island Land Trust) for $20 million.

Tisbo owns among other things Suncast Corporation of Chicago. Suncast is the leader in plastic storage and assorted plastic home and garden items, ranging from storage sheds to portable dog kennels to hose reels to storage buckets.

Tisbo and his wife Jeannie are also the owners of Tequestiran Farms and are major horse breeders. Tisbo sold 2750 Gordon in 2010 (at the bottom of the Port Royal real estate market) to Randal Bellestri for $22 million. Meanwhile Naples' loss was Palm Beach's gain as the Tisbos set up on the east coast of Florida - when it comes to philanthropy the Tisbo's are as generous as they come; case in point this anecdote from the Naples Wine Festival - mobile.golfweek.com/news/2002/feb/26/naples-festival-co...

Bellestri who purchased the property from Tisbo lives in the 4th house south of the Port Royal Club at 3100 Gordon Drive goo.gl/maps/AJdmW and has been very active in the Port Royal Real Estate market buying and selling properties in recent years. Bellestri's background is in the Aerospace industry, in 2008 he sold two companies that he founded for more than $300 million. ( www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/02/us-hampson-idUSL0214... ).

Less than 2 years after purchasing 2750 for $22 million, Bellestri sold it to Watson for $27.3 million.

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References and more information:
_____________________________________________________

Robert A Watson

investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snap...
articles.latimes.com/1990-11-16/business/fi-4892_1_tran...
www.nytimes.com/1992/06/12/business/company-news-chief-...
www.nytimes.com/1993/04/09/business/company-news-westin...
www.sfgate.com/business/article/MOVERS-SHAKERS-3140915....
articles.latimes.com/1992-01-10/business/fi-1805_1_tran...
www.nytimes.com/1992/06/12/business/company-news-chief-...
www.nytimes.com/2003/08/06/business/ge-will-buy-transam...

Who Killed Westinghouse?
old.post-gazette.com/westinghouse/chapter5.asp
old.post-gazette.com/westinghouse/jordan.asp

Watson's Former Naples home

9663 Mashie Court, Naples *sold in late 2013 for less than $10 million
www.ktp123.com/index.php?property=493&unbranded‎
www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/aug/27/10-biggest-houses-l...
www.zillow.com/homedetails/9663-Mashie-Ct-Naples-FL-341...

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The Stoneburner family

Dalene and Stoney's son Kevin has carried on the family business with his mother and are an important part of the Naples and SWFL economy, here is a list of their many enterprises ranging from restaurants and hotels to condominiums including Bayfront.

www.wysk.com/search/doEntitySearch.cfm?q=KEVIN%20%20STO...

From the archives:

Annual News Years Eve Beach Party circa 1970
newspaperarchive.com/naples-daily-news/1970-01-11/page-...

Stoneburners' Ranch circa 1973
newspaperarchive.com/naples-daily-news/1973-02-13/page-...

Stoney's Citrus Grove
news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19850202&id=grha...

Swamp Buggy controversy (1977)

news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19770407&id=shI...
news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19770415&id=Src...
news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19770625&id=sXY...
news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19770403&id=Prc...

Stoney's Courtyard Inn, Naples

www.stoneyscourtyardinn.com

Darlene Stoneburner Lofgren and her husband now live on Gulf Shore Blvd N in a condo they purchased from another storied Port Royal family, the Chlumskys. The condo had been owned by Ed and Pat Chulmsky who in turn had purchased that same condo from Port Royal residents, the Hamiltons. Darlene's son Cris also owns in the same building just two floors below.

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W.T. Young

William T young lived next door at 2790 Gordon and purchased 2750 from Darlene Stoneburner in 1983 selling it back to her in 1988. Young made his fortune early, founding a peanut butter company when he was in his twenties. He sold out what was to become the Jif brand to Proctor & Gamble 9 years later in 1955 when he was 37 yrs old. Still in his thirties he was appointed to the board of Royal Crown Cola, which also owned Arby's and was Chairman of RC Cola until 1984. He was a pioneer in the cold storage business, was on the board of KFC and at one point the largest shareholder of health care provider, Humana Inc.

But William Young's claim to fame and life's passion was not his business accomplishments but Thoroughbred racing and breeding, something he said he wished he had found earlier in life. As founder of Overbrook Farms, Young was one of America's greatest horse breeders including the legendary Storm Cat, grandson of Northern Dancer and Secretariat.The William T Young library at the University of Kentucky in Lexington was named after him for his generous gifts.

www.overbrookfarm.com/pdf/wt_young.pdf‎
www.entrepreneurhof.com/william-young‎
www.nytimes.com/2004/01/14/sports/william-t-young-85-ow...
www.complexmag.ca/art-design/2011/09/the-10-coolest-col...
www.nytimes.com/1984/01/14/business/the-innovative-roya...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_T._Young_Library
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_T._Young

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Thomas A. Tisbo

Tisbo in Palm Beach
www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/national/deed-ever...

www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130502/BLOGS03/130509...

Tisbo's aircraft
www.zoominfo.com/p/Tom-Tisbo/319192770

Tisbo's father's obit
articles.chicagotribune.com/1999-10-29/news/9910290292_...

Suncast Corporation
investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snap...
www.suncast.com

Tisbo's innovations & patents
patent.ipexl.com/inventor/Thomas_A_Tisbo_1.html

Tequestrian Farms
www.tequestrianfarms.com/‎

Tisbo family philanthropy
www.phelpsmediagroup.com/viewarticle.php?id=6332
mobile.golfweek.com/news/2002/feb/26/naples-festival-co...

Tisbo's Barrington Hills, Illinois home
goo.gl/maps/gNWTK

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Randal D. Bellestri

www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/02/us-hampson-idUSL0214...
www.bloomberg.com/article/2012-07-06/acFJj4d6ERGQ.html
www.global-tooling-systems.com/about-us
xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/finance-homessoldsecret/5...
www.forbes.com/sites/morganbrennan/2012/04/28/two-naple...

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The Briggs Family

Good Biography of Briggs
state.sdstateconnect.org/stephen-briggs/

Picture of Briggs at age 21 from 1906 and the engine he created
state.sdstateconnect.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/eng...
www4.uwm.edu/business/corporate/gallery/briggs.cfm

Briggs timeline:
brooklyncentre.com/trees/getperson.php?personID=I30800&...

Briggs and his passion for photography and movie making:

Briggs' Solana Studios based at 2700 (2750) Gordon Drive
July 8, 1950
news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19500708&id=d2d...

207.156.20.146/items/show/252927

www.newspapers.com/newspage/22348630/

"The gooney bird" Solana Studios, 1967
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJh88xHurnA

www.floridamemory.com/video/catalog.php

ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00079904/00152/6x?vo=31&vp=532,0

Solana located at 2700 newspaperarchive.com/mitchell-daily-republic/1958-12-12...

Water Birds 1952
mubi.com/films/a-true-life-adventure-water-birds

Outboard Marine Corporation
www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2801.html

Briggs Boat House at 2325 Gordon Drive
www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/may/09/price-paradisebrigg...