Versace manse’s new owner weighs using it as memorial

The Nakash family, which acquired the former Gianni Versace mansion in Miami Beach at an auction last month for $41 million, may turn it into an exhibit or museum dedicated to the late designer.

“We don’t have any definite plans yet because it’s brand new. We have lots of ideas. An exhibit or a museum is one idea,” Jonathan Bennett, Nakash real estate director, told the South Florida Business Journal. “We bought it because it’s magnificent, iconic and part of the history of Miami.”

Jordache Enterprises mogul Joe Nakash, of Jordache jeans fame, has also expressed interest into converting the home into a hotel and temporarily hosting a retailer such as Apple of Victoria’s Secret, as The Real Deal reported last month.

At the Sept. 17 auction, Nakash, in a partnership with New York investor Eli Gindi, beat out rival real estate mogul Donald Trump after his son Eric made a final bid of $41 million.

The 23,000-square-foot, 10-bedroom mansion at 1116 Ocean Drive, originally known as Casa Casuarina, was first listed for $125 million, but then saw the price drop to $75 million. [South Florida Business Journal] — Mark Maurer