by Richard Prior
Realty Builder Connection
Some discriminating homeowner will soon get the keys to the house of his dreams . . . and give a much-needed hand to the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra in the bargain.
The Symphony Guild and Palencia, being developed along U.S. 1 outside St. Augustine, unveiled the 2004 SunTrust/ASID Symphony Showhouse in one of Palencia’s newer neighborhoods last month.
The 10,000 square-foot home has been named “Casa Del Rio,” in honor of the 2004 honorary chairman and Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio, who attended the festivities with his wife, Linda.
“Though this will not be Jack and Linda’s house, we are all grateful that your casa is in Jacksonville,” Symphony board chairman Pete Carpenter told the couple.
The annual Showhouse, which earns contributions for the Symphony, “is very much our major fund raiser, and this is the Guild’s primary fund raiser,” said Carpenter. “We’re basically a $6 million to $7 million organization, and the Guild will contribute several hundred thousand dollars a year for that effort.
“A major portion of that will come from the Showhouse.”
Del Rio told the luncheon crowd, which included a host of dignitaries and government officials, that he and his wife were honored to have their names placed on the house.
“We’re anxious to be involved in the neighborhood, to be involved in the community,” he said. “We have moved quite a bit throughout our career of playing and coaching in the NFL. This is a unique situation. This is the best participation by ownership, players, coaches that takes place in the NFL.”
The home’s builder, Jerry Linder, of The Vintage Group, appreciated being a repeat participant in the Symphony’s fund raiser.
“We enjoy building custom houses and this is kind of the top of it,” he said. “It’s a good project.
“We built the 2002 Symphony Showhome at World Golf Village, The King and The Bear, and that house sold prior to the show starting. We were real excited about that one, just as we are with this one.”
Since construction began at Palencia only two years ago, “This is the first opportunity we’ve had to be part of the show,” said Lane Gardner, project manager for the development team at Palencia.
“We knew [the Symphony Guild] was out there, and with all the marketing we do, they’d seen our name,” he added. “We’re very well branded and we had a builder that was very interested in doing it.
“We were absolutely willing to partner with them and make it happen here. It’s a fantastic thing for our community.”
Naomi Lumley, sales and marketing manager for Palencia, greeted visitors at the door, marveling at the home’s potential and the reaction of the throngs of people.
“We’re just very, very excited about the whole thing,” she said. “It’s far surpassed anything that we thought could possibly happen out here.
“Being able to have the Symphony out here and the money that it’ll raise for the Guild . . . this is just like the dessert.”