A Coveted Double Lot With Plans by Renowned Local Architect Michael Lee Marks an Ultra-rare Development Opportunity to Build a Custom Home on the Strand
A major development opportunity awaits at 2120 The Strand, a rare double lot on a coveted corner. With a final Coastal Development Permit in place, this property offers a meaningful head start towards creating a custom single-family residence and a duplex, courtesy of a six-figure investment in proposed plans prepared with prominent local architect Michael Lee. The value of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a legacy property on one of Manhattan Beach’s most coveted stretches of The Strand is truly inestimable.
The proposed structures include 2120 The Strand, a beautifully designed single-family residence spanning approximately 5,508 square feet, with 7 bedrooms and 7.5 baths, plus a studio on the corner lot, and 2114/2116 The Strand, a 4,783-square-foot duplex with 8 beds and 8.5 baths, and a private outdoor courtyard with protection from the elements.
Which is, according to agent Giovanni Altamura of the Altamura Real Estate Group, “something you just don’t see on The Strand.”
These structures offer covered decks and patios on every level for sublime indoor/outdoor living.
“The opportunity for someone to build with a final Coastal Development Permit and proposed plans is ultra-rare,” says Giovanni Altamura. After all, “Time is money. It is one of the most sought-after commodities because you can’t get it back.”
In this particular case, for example, the complexity of the project required a three-year process that will ultimately save the buyers a great deal of time and money.
“The seller did all the heavy lifting and all the due diligence,” adds Giovanni Altamura, pointing out the tremendous potential to build these two wonderful structures.
In keeping with architect Michael Lee’s repertoire of warm contemporary constructions, the proposed residences are visions of sleek, understated elegance featuring a fresh yet timeless mix of materials, including wood, natural stone, and vast glass that wraps the west side of the buildings for beautiful ocean views and abundant natural light—the necessary companions of a luxurious coastal lifestyle. Though Michael Lee’s plan is painstakingly perfected as envisioned, it is also a blueprint of possibility, allowing future owners to customize its finishes and modify materials, as desired.
Uniquely, as a legacy property that has been in the sellers’ family for generations, it is imbued with a sense of local history and emotional attachment. Not only nearby local landmarks, but it is also the former site of a development rented by local legends, too.
“It’s a prominent corner,” Giovanni Altamura affirms, adding that many locals recognize the corner lot as part of their memories, from spending summers at the beach, perhaps in the Junior Lifeguards, to hanging out on Strand porches.
Also in the neighborhood: architect Michael Lee himself. His office is right up the street from 2120 The Strand, Giovanni Altamura points out, “so, he understands the street and the location. His design enhances the corner tremendously.”
Not to mention, the architect’s very own view.
“I’m going to be looking at it all the time because it’s right down the street,” Michael Lee jokes. “It had to look especially good.”
Of his approach to the project, Michael Lee says, “We wanted to maximize the views while providing privacy.” In general, “We want our buildings to be attractive and have a developed language of materials and details. Adding just enough detail so that they are not busy or fussy or trendy is something we’re known for.”
In this case, that means a design that is both visually compelling and aesthetically timeless with contemporary architectural touches. “We kind of agonize over every detail,” Michael Lee admits.
To that end, “The structures are similar, like a king and a queen, but they’re not identical,” Giovanni Altamura says. “They play off each other.”
Consistencies in form and material, including long, clean lines, sharp angles and slim silhouettes, as well as striking yet subdued contemporary façades featuring materials in sympathy with the coastal setting. Subtle breaks in rooflines, a mix of ceiling heights and thoughtful considerations, both beautiful and practical, are among the marks of distinction. Overlapping shapes, overhangs, and cantilever decks, meanwhile, are used to create dramatic shadows and offer protection from the sun.
“The buildings are modern, but they’re a warm modern,” Michael Lee says of the design, which places bedrooms on the top floor, kitchen and living areas on the middle levels, and family spaces on the lower levels for a balance of privacy and entertaining spaces. Add to this all that extravagant glass and a series of outdoor patios and decks.
As Michael Lee puts it, “You have indoor/outdoor living even when the doors are closed.” Expansive views of sun, sand, and the shining Pacific backdrop it all. “It’s a great observatory of beach life,” he adds.
Priced at $24 million with the option for buyers to purchase the parcels separately for $10-$14 million, the property packages flexibility with the time saved in the typically long, precarious approval process and plum proximity to the beach and the quintessential Manhattan Beach lifestyle.
“It is a dream to build,” Giovanni Altamura concedes, “but the timeframe for developing plans with an architect and navigating coastal approvals often takes much longer than anticipated. With a final Coastal Development Permit in place, this property alleviates that significant hurdle from the start.” Moreover, he adds, “Very rarely does a double lot come for sale with the ability to build in this location.”
In 2120 The Strand, living the dream is ever closer to reality.
Giovanni Altamura | 310.503.9293 | DRE #01818979
Altamura Real Estate Group
List Price: $24,000,000
Photography by Paul Jonason | Renderings Courtesy of the homeowners
