Following last month’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, 24/7 road closures are limiting direct access to some of Palm Beach’s luxury properties.
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The heightened security surrounding the Republican nominee following the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has created something of a hurdle for agents trying to operate in Palm Beach’s luxury market.
On July 20, the Secret Service blocked off Southern Ocean Boulevard in front of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, and the area is expected to remain closed until further notice. The closure affects the stretch from just north of Mar-a-Lago to where South County Highway intersects with South Ocean Boulevard. The blockade is likely to last until at least the November election, according to the Palm Beach Police Department. palm beach daily news reported.
With the road officially closed 24/7, residents or workers who need access must get approval from law enforcement to do so. The closure means properties south of Mar-a-Lago are largely cut off from the rest of the island, while properties north of the club are cut off from one of three bridges that connect Palm Beach to the rest of Florida.
Agents say the road closures are currently only a minor issue for agents as the market is currently in its off-season. the real deal. But that could become a bigger problem once more seasonal residents return in the fall.
“I don’t think it’s a positive,” Douglas Elliman agent Gary Poehler told TRD. Porrell would soon list a property near the club, adding that it was “not something anyone would want to put up with” for potential buyers.
Listing prices in the affected areas range from $13.9 million to $48.9 million. As of Monday, there were seven such affected listings in the area, according to Zillow.
Now cut off from the rest of the island, properties south of Mar-a-Lago have also been somewhat affected, including a $40 million property at 500 Regent Park Road. Although the home is only about 200 feet from Trump’s club, selling agent Rob Thomson of Waterfront Properties & Club Communities said he’s not worried the closure will affect sales of his home.
“Can it be annoying? Of course,” Thomson told TRD. “Is it scary? No, we were used to it last time.
The island faced similar road closures during the Trump administration. The road would be closed whenever the then-President was in town to check into the club, then reopened when he was out of town again.
In 2018, during the Trump presidency, a property at 1045 Southern Ocean came on the market, listed for sale by Tracy DeGeorge of Waterfront Properties at the time. Although the closure affects the property, Thompson, owner of Waterfront Properties, said it’s no different than having to go into a property within a gated community.
“The barricade is literally right in front of the front door,” Thompson told TRD. “Time-wise, it’s no different than parking your car in front of a prime neighborhood.”
Thompson happens to be a member of Mar-a-Lago and lives in Admirals Cove, about 20 miles north of the club. He said the Secret Service’s presence during Trump’s presidency did not deter potential buyers.
“It makes people feel very safe,” Thompson said.
However, Town Manager Kirk Blouin wants to know why the 24/7 road closures are needed and has asked the Secret Service for a legal explanation.
“It makes sense if there are protected individuals in the residence,” Bruin told reporters. palm beach daily news. “I can’t understand the road closures at this moment if no one is there.”
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