An Orlando drinkware magnate who paid $15 million for the historic Merrywood estate in Winter Park has made his first public comments about the property’s future.
Steve Lockwood, who last year bought bought the Orlando-founded drinkware brand Corkcicle, purchased the 3.67-acre property in August, according to an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon from Jason Searl, an Orlando real estate attorney representing him. The Winter Park Voice was first to report his ownership.
The statement said Lockwood has been meeting with city officials and others in the community ahead of Wednesday’s City Commission meeting, when a final vote on a controversial proposed lot split for the land could take place.
It said he bought the property with the intention of building a family home there, while also considering the possibility of splitting the land with a close family friend.
“As I’ve learned more about Merrywood and what the property means to Winter Park, I’ve appreciated the opportunity to have constructive conversations with people who care deeply about its history and its future,” he said in the statement. “I bought Merrywood because I saw it as a special place where my family could build a home and become part of the community.
“I also understand that the property means something to many people in Winter Park. I’m listening, keeping an open mind and hopeful that we can find a path forward that everyone can feel good about.”
The statement said Lockwood expects to share additional information as discussions progress.
Siblings Cathy and Raymond Gilmer’s sale of the property in August to what had been a mystery corporation, Lake Osceola Holdings LLC, stunned those working to save the house from demolition.
An exclusive look inside Winter Park’s historic, imperiled Merrywood House
Although no one had heard publicly from the new owner until now, shortly after the sale his representative told the city he still wants a permit to demolish it.
The initial application for a demolition permit filed by the Gilmers was extended for 90 days — allowing more time to complete the requirements to obtain it. As of Wednesday, the city’s permitting portal shows the $1,418 in fees have not been paid, nor have any required inspections necessary to obtain the permit been completed.
The 7,300-square-foot Spanish-style home built in 1939 is the largest residence designed by the city’s famed architect, James Gamble Rogers II. It’s estimated fewer than 30 homes he designed remain standing in the city. Commissioners recently tasked their historic preservation board with recommending ways to improve preservation efforts, as iconic homes are torn down to make way for new ones in a city where vacant land is scarce.
The sale, the largest-ever for a single lot in city history, could potentially allow the owner to build a 55,991-square-foot house on the land under existing ordinances. It’s about 300 feet from the city’s current largest home at 916 Palmer Avenue — which is about 40,000 square feet.
While the lot split would boost the value of the land, it would also reduce the size of the homes that could be built. The city’s prohibition against splitting lakefront lots dates back to the 1990s and was put in place to protect community character and natural resources along the city’s lakes.