Palm Beach board rejects “alien” design of mansion for former Epstein property

Board member said Kob Karp’s design looked almost “alien” in Palm Beach

Architect Kobi Karp, Developer Todd Glaser and renderings of the mansion (Glaser, Karp)
Architect Kobi Karp, Developer Todd Glaser and renderings of the mansion (Glaser, Karp)

Todd Michael Glaser and his team will have to go back to the drawing board after a Palm Beach board rejected plans for a mid-century modern spec mansion to be built on the former Jeffrey Epstein property.

Glaser, who tore down the waterfront home that belonged to the late sex offender and disgraced financier, sought approval of a Kobi Karp-designed estate proposed for the property at 360 El Brillo Way. Karp represented the developer at the July 28 meeting.

Board members of the architectural commission said the designs for the two-story home were too commercial and did not aesthetically fit into the street and town. One member said it was “excessively dissimilar” to other structures.

At one point, board member Betsy Shiverick said she did not mean to “be so brutal.”

“I think this house would look great in Miami, but it looks almost alien in Palm Beach,” she said.

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The board denied approval of the plans, so Glaser will have to file a new application. Glaser has been incredibly active in Palm Beach, recently paying $85 million for the 2.3-acre Tarpon Island, alongside partners.

Glaser paid $18.5 million for the Epstein property in March and later demolished the house, where Epstein was accused of sexually abusing dozens of young girls. Epstein paid $2.5 million for the six-bedroom, 14,000-square-foot mansion in 1990.

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Epstein, who died in jail in New York in August 2019, also owned an Upper East Side townhouse that sold in March for $51 million.