Guess who's getting the best view of the Fourth of July fireworks? No doubt the new owners of this downtown Sarasota condo in the sky. When it was first listed in July of last year, it was the priciest condo on the market at $16.35 million. We wrote about it here, not just for its price point, but because it also had the highest putting green in the county. Interestingly, as part of the sale contract, it was removed.

The two-story penthouse is located in Epoch, between South Palm and Gulfstream avenues. It sold Monday for $11.15 million cash.

But the massive terraces still include what really counts: more than 1,900 square feet of dining and lounge space, a rooftop terrace and tempered glass railings for nearly 44 feet of unobstructed views. In all, the outdoor spaces span just less than 5,000 square feet.

“I can see Anna Maria, Longboat, Lido, Bird Key, Siesta, the Ringling Bridge, manatees, dolphins, the marina, the city, the Gulf of Mexico and, on a clear day, the Skyway Bridge," the seller, Alan Town, told us when we interviewed him last year.

“It’s the tallest residence in Sarasota, so we look down on everybody, and no one can look into our unit,” he added.

If the views aren't enough, there's also a rooftop Jacuzzi,  seating around a fire bowl and an outdoor kitchen and grill area on both outdoor terrace levels.

Seaward Development, a local development firm, broke ground on the 23-residence Epoch in 2019. At the time, condos in the high-rise ranged from 3,680 to 5,650 square feet and were listed at prices ranging from $3.3 million to $8.5 million. Town paid $9.74 million for it in May 2021. 

According to Sarasota County records, its new owners are Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis. They're philanthropists who own Healthcare Strategic Solutions LLC, an advisory firm focused on increasing profits for health systems, private equity firms and portfolio companies. He's the CEO and president, she's a managing partner at the firm. 

Henley and Davis also bought a condo at 415 L’Ambiance Drive on Longboat Key for $3.5 million back in 2021. Built in 1992, it has two bedrooms, two-and-two-half baths and 2,634 square feet of living area.

This one is a bit of an upgrade.

Like the couple, most of those who inquired about the listing were local and looking for second addresses close to everything downtown Sarasota offers. 

"They wanted the walkability of downtown but didn't want to compromise on the opulence they might enjoy on Longboat Key," says Moriah Taliaferro of Sotheby's International Realty, who represented the seller. The couple also liked the amenities and appreciated the modern, minimalist canvas that makes the space easy to customize, she adds.

Last year, another condo at the Epoch sold for $9.7 million. But this 17th- and 18th-floor penthouse, which encompasses roughly 11,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space combined, easily smashed that figure.

Kelly Baldwin of Coldwell Banker Realty, who represented the buyers, isn't surprised it fetched a record-breaking price. 

"Between Obsidian, One Park and the Ritz Residences, there's a lot of new construction coming down the pipeline that warrants this price. It's an incredible property," she says.

In addition to the four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom, open-floor layout that spans roughly 6,000 square feet, Town had invested roughly a quarter-million into the audiovisuals and electric roll-away shades.

Back down on the ground, amenities include a three-car private garage that can handle five cars with lifts, plus everything else you’d expect at this price point: around-the-clock concierge service, a fitness center with massage suite, a social room for entertaining that opens to the 70-foot lap pool, a bar and grill area, and cabanas with fire tables.

"It sets a precedent for values in this area, but I expect this record to soon be broken with all the high-end closings coming up when all this luxury downtown condo construction is done," Baldwin says. "This is just the start of lots of double-digit condo sales."

Moriah Taliaferro of  Premier Sotheby's International Realty represented the seller and Kelly Baldwin with Coldwell Banker Realty represented the buyers.