Former Jacksonville Downtown Development Authority CEO Lori Boyer and her husband, retired Circuit Court Judge Tyrie Boyer, have found a buyer for their historic San Marco estate.
Andy Allen and his wife, Kristen, bought the property at 2234 River Road on July 1 for $5.5 million. The Allens then took out a $3.5 million mortgage with the Boyers.
Allen is the founder of Corner Lot, a real estate development firm.
Boyer retired effective June 30 after five years of leading the DIA and a career of public and civic service that included two terms on the Jacksonville City Council.
Andy Allen said he and Kristen live near the home, which they walk past daily and have long admired.
Asked what interested them about purchasing it, Allen listed such attributes as its place in Jacksonville history as the one-time home of Carl H. Swisher, the grandson of Swisher Cigar Co. founder John Swisher, who built it in 1929.
“It’s on probably the best lot on the river, in our opinion, and is close to San Marco, where we call home,” he said.
Boyer did not immediately return phone and text messages.
Sale took years
The Boyers have been trying to sell their home for more than two years, last placing it on the market in October.
Jacksonville Realtor Anita Vining listed the seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom, 8,764-square-foot estate at $6.75 million. It sits on 2.49 acres.
The Boyers had previously put the home on the market in August 2022 at $5.75 million, but without an adjacent lot.
In a 2024 interview with the Daily Record, Boyer said she and Tyrie took the house off the market after the 2022 listing because their son and his fiancee decided they wanted to get married at the residence.
The couple then considered building on the adjacent lot, she said, but opted against that plan and decided instead to sell both the house and lot.
She said the decision to sell the home was partly based on her upcoming departure from the DIA. The couple wanted to downsize and travel more.
Home features include a pool, courtyard, fountain, greenhouse and a three-car garage with a separate, second-story living quarters. The home was built in the Mediterranean Revival style.
The property, built on two elevated lots to protect it from flooding, underwent a major renovation in 1999 that added a game room and a remodeled kitchen.
Boyer bought the home with her late husband, Dr. Ron Nemeyer, for $822,845 in 1987.
Allen said he and Kristen plan to update the home to provide modern functionality while maintaining its historic character.
New DIA CEO
On June 9, the DIA board unanimously selected Colin Tarbert, the former president and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corp., as Boyer’s successor.
Nine days later, the board approved a three-year employment agreement with Tarbert providing him with $297,000 in annual compensation.
The agreement calls for Tarbert to start the position the first week of August.
In its May 21 meeting, the DIA board approved spending up to $45,000 to obtain professional services from Boyer during the transition, including contract negotiations, document reviews and drafting of projects in which she is involved.
