In a proposal that would expand Caladesi Island State Park, Florida’s state government is looking to buy one of the last privately owned, undeveloped swaths of coastal beachfront land in Pinellas County.
The property, spanning more than two dozen acres on the northern tip of Clearwater Beach, is listed for sale along with a 3,400-square-foot beachfront mansion for $37.5 million. The Mandalay Point estate first hit the market at that price in 2024, the Tampa Bay Times reported at the time.
Public records show the state began discussing buying the coastal land as early as December, and a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection confirmed the state is appraising the property.
It’s not yet clear what the state may offer to buy the land, or when a formal proposal may be introduced.
A 10-member state lands council voted in February to add it to the state’s list of properties that could be bought for conservation. In June, the environmental agency named the 30-acre property on its list of anticipated Florida Forever purchases with an estimated price of roughly $30 million, records show.
The next Florida cabinet meeting, where state land deals are deliberated, is slated for Sept. 29.
“This is one of the greatest opportunities to conserve this pristine ecosystem in the history of the county,” Brian Aungst, a Clearwater land use attorney whose firm represents the seller, said when he first presented the proposal to the state in December.
The sandy beach property could be nesting habitat for sea turtles and shorebirds like the American oystercatcher, snowy plover and least tern, records show. If bought and protected, it would join a chain of nearly 18 miles of conserved barrier islands including Caladesi Island, Honeymoon Island and Anclote Key Preserve state parks.
Questions remain about whether the mansion would be included in a future land acquisition. A map presented by the state in February showed that the three-bed, three-bath home was within the state’s proposed purchase boundary.
After the presentation, a member of the state’s land acquisition council, Lynetta Griner, asked the presenter, Daniel Alsentzer, a state lands bureau chief, about the house.
“It seems to me like that large, seaside mansion could really impact the price that you have to pay for this property,” Griner said.
Buying structures, like homes or buildings, is not typical practice for state land-buying agencies, as they can increase the purchase price and incur unwanted upkeep or maintenance costs on the taxpayer’s dime.
“It’s a great opportunity to have that much undeveloped waterfront,” Griner continued. “But to not have the house included, I think that would be ideal.”
Alsentzer replied the natural land is the state’s priority, and the state indicated that the house and land could be separated for any eventual purchase.
Asked about the proposal, including whether the state would be acquiring the mansion in the proposed land deal, a spokesperson for the environmental agency indicated it wasn’t accounting for the price of the home in its valuation, as the property was being appraised “as if it is vacant” — with no house included on it — “and will not include any improvements to the property, such as the residence.”
The agency said Caladesi Island State Park is only accessible by water, and by buying the property, it would provide an opportunity to make a land-based connection to the park. When the Times pointed out that the only road to the coastal property appears to be behind a private gate, the agency said in a follow-up statement that it was still “in the due diligence phase with this acquisition, so there are many unknowns.”
The home was built in 1987 by the late Edwin Rhodes Hunter and his wife, Carolyn, two snowbirds from Des Moines, Iowa.
Hunter was a successful businessperson whose family owned several commercial properties, including the Clearwater Beach Hotel.
“He had a great respect for Florida and preserving the Florida environment,” his son, Daniel, told the then-St. Petersburg Times in 1992.
“He loved to walk along the beach and would proudly tell me what birds he saw.”
The family listed the property in 2024 for a whopping $37.5 million — $15 million more than the most expensive home ever sold in Tampa Bay.
They slashed the price several times, dropping it to $27.5 million in August of last year. But by October, they raised it back to the original asking price.
While it’s unclear whether the house would be included in an acquisition, local government leaders have expressed support to expand the park by buying the coastal property, consisting of dunes, coastal strand and mangrove swamp.
The mayor of Clearwater, the city’s tourism arm and the chairperson of the Pinellas County Commission have all penned letters in support of the purchase.
The land would be a welcome addition to the state park and shield a barrier island chain from the future threat of human development, they say.
Buying the property would “ensure that future generations can experience and enjoy Florida’s natural beauty,” Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector wrote in November, urging the state to prioritize the deal.
“This acquisition represents a critical opportunity to protect irreplaceable natural resources while providing lasting benefits to Florida’s citizens and visitors,” Rector wrote.
Times staff writer Rebecca Liebson contributed to this report.
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