History Preserved

BY HUNTER RENSHAW

Among the many historic homes that grace Coral Gables, Coral Cove is a standout, both in terms of design and lore.

Designed by Phineas Paist, the supervising architect for George Merrick’s Coral Gables Corporation (Venetian Pool, Coral Gables City Hall, Colonnade Building), Coral Cove was completed in 1937 on the widest lagoon of the Coral Gables Waterway.

It was designed for living large by its first owner Roy Page, with a 33-foot long living room, a mini Olympic pool, an elevator, a tidewater pool and more than a dozen bathrooms. A subsequent owner added two roomy boathouses, carved out of the oolitic limestone ridge that runs through Miami-Dade County. Cuban dictator Batista once considered buying it and Billy Graham left behind a signed Bible.

The boathouses, which provided safe harbor for a string of yachts over the decades, led to the role the estate played in the 1960s as HQ for CIA operatives engaged in infiltrating Castro’s Cuba. From here, heavily armed CIA agents would motor down the Gables waterway and head for Cuba, to carry out missions aimed at destabilizing Cuba’s communist government.

The storied estate recently exchanged hands in a quiet, off-market $14.9 million sale that breaks the record for a Coral Gables residence sited outside of a gated community. The compound was sold by owner Rene Garcia, the celebrity perfume purveyor and founder of Jacavi Holdings, to iAero Airways President Jeff Conry.

The last previous sale was in 2011 for $4.5 million. While Coral Gables real estate has proven a fairly sound investment, the notable 300 percent jump in value can largely be attributed to the meticulous restoration of the 11,203-square foot estate by Miami-based Mocca Construction.

Designated a historic landmark by the City of Coral Gables, Mocca Construction founder Alex Pirez painstakingly navigated the estate’s restoration, working closely with the city’s Historic Preservation office. Removing every viable barrel tile from the original roof, popping every length of cypress plank and every Cuban tile, and even pulling out beams and rafters, Mocca fortified the structure, rewired it and brought it up to modern day standards. They then returned all the salvaged components to their rightful places, to preserve the home’s period authenticity.

For Pirez, who received the commission in 2012, “It was an honor to be able to breathe new life into a home with so much history, while preserving its integrity,” says the Gables resident. “And I learned much more about Old World artisan craftsmanship in the process.”

Today, Coral Cove embodies all the charm and grace of Paist’s original Mediterranean Revival style, with a backbone of contemporary technology. George Merrick would have been proud. ■

PATIO SEATING (OPPOSITE)

A fairytale mood of Old Hollywood glamour reigns at Coral Cove, where Phineas Paist’s masterful understatement sets the architectural tone indoors and out.

Living Room

The living and dining areas were opened up to accommodate modern day sensibilities. Plentiful sunlight, waterway views and “Ready for Flight,” a metal sculpture by Lewis Tardy, complement the space.

Stairwell

Architect Phineas Paist was best known for his Mediterranean Revival style, but he was also influenced by the Art Deco movement, as evidenced in the home’s curvaceous staircase.

KITCHEN

Elegant restraint distinguishes the timeless kitchen, which is outfitted with Viking and Wolf appliances. The original wall tiles were all replaced once modern ventilation was installed.

BATHROOM

The original Cuban tile in the charming powder room (and elsewhere) was painstakingly lifted, restored and re-laid by the Mocca crew which replaced electrical and plumbing. The wash bowl is a throwback to an earlier age.

The Coral Pond

This view of the storied 1937 residence is from the actual “Coral Cove” tidewater pool, the widest spot on the Coral Gables Waterway, for which the estate was named.

Boat House

The two extraordinary boathouses cut into the oolitic limestone ridge on which Coral Cove sits proved extremely useful to CIA operatives in the 1960s. Mocca artisans restored this sweeping mural, titled “Man’s Quest.”