Home Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Lifestyle
Derek Jeter lived there. Tom Brady rented it. Take a look inside the $22.5 million Tampa Bay mansion that's housed sports royalty — and might be getting knocked down.
Amanda Goh
Derek Jeter and his former Tampa mansion
Uneek Image and Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Derek Jeter's former mansion in Tampa, Florida, could be demolished, local outlet 10 Tampa Bay reported.
The 1.25-acre waterfront estate sold for $22.5 million in May 2021.
Tom Brady rented the mansion during his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
A 22,000-square-foot mansion in Tampa, Florida, that once belonged to Yankees star Derek Jeter could soon be turned to rubble.
The mansion sits on a 1.25-acre lot, with 345 feet of open bay frontage.
Uneek Image
In mid-September, the city of Tampa told local news outlet 10 Tampa Bay that an application to demolish the 1.25-acre property had been initiated. It's possible that more than one home will be built on the lot, local real-estate agent Cristan Fadal told the outlet.
As of September 23, the residential demolition permit application "is still pending electrical and gas sign-off," Dave Jennings, an operations manager at the Tampa city council, told Insider.
If the application goes through, it will mark the end for the waterfront estate that sold in May 2021 for $22.5 million, per Hillsborough County property records.
The listing agent who handled the transaction, Stephen Gay from Smith and Associates Real Estate, told Insider it was the "highest price residential sale in the history of the Tampa Bay region." The record still stands today, according to the Zillow transaction history for the area.
Located in the Davis Islands neighborhood, Jeter and his family lived in the mansion for almost six years before they moved to Miami.
The primary living area comes with a fireplace.
Jeter spent two years constructing the mansion on three neighboring lots he purchased for $7.7 million in 2005 and 2006, the New York Times reported in February 2011. Known as "St. Jetersberg" among the locals, the house is one of the biggest residences in the neighborhood.
Jeter's mansion became a hot topic in 2011 when former New York Yankees cochairman Hank Steinbrenner made a comment about the baseball team's performance, saying that some players were "too busy building mansions and doing other things and not concentrating on winning," per ESPN.
Shortly after Jeter became the CEO of the Miami Marlins in September 2017, the family moved into a condo in the laid-back, affluent neighborhood of Coconut Grove, per the Miami Herald. Jeter stepped down from his position earlier this year in March.
A representative for Jeter did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
In 2020, Jeter leased out the home to seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and his wife, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen.
The kitchen comes with marble tiles and state-of-the-art appliances.
Brady moved to the area with his family after he signed a two-year contract worth $50 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ESPN reported.
Though it's not publicly known how much Brady paid in rent, Jennifer Zales, a Coldwell Banker agent, told the Tampa Bay Times in April 2020 that rent could cost "$75,000 a month or more," based on her experience with houses of this size.
In an interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM in April 2020, Brady said he had some privacy concerns due to the accessibility of the home.
The dining room has direct views of the bay.
"I am a little bit of an introvert. I feel like my house is the place where I can relax," Brady told Stern. "But this is a little different because you've got the backyard, there's a lot of boats that have pulled up with people out in front." A representative for Brady did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
The neighbors still remember what it was like dealing with the constant stream of fans on the street — first for Jeter, and then for Brady, 10 Tampa Bay reported.
"They used to park in my driveway to come down to his house," Bryan Truex, a neighbor, told 10 Tampa Bay.
More recently, fans have been showing up for one last glimpse of the property just in case the demolition goes through.
"I heard the news they were gonna demolish the mansion," Californian Rob Nicholson told 10 Tampa Bay. "I wanted one last look at it. Fan of Tom Brady and Derek Jeter, so, kind of nostalgic, I guess."
Jeter originally listed the seven-bedroom property for $29 million in September 2020. At the time, the Bradys were still living there.
The primary bedroom suite.
The Bradys were aware that the Jeters were planning to sell the mansion and had a lease agreement that allowed the Jeters to market the property, listing agent Stephen Gay told the New York Times in 2020.
After almost eight months on the market, Jeter sold the property for $22.5 million — $6.5 million less than his original asking price, per Hillsborough County property records.
The warranty deed lists a trust run by a local lawyer David L. Koche as the current owner of the property. Koche did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
A six-foot-high wall that locals previously dubbed "The Great Wall of Jeter" surrounds the property.
The primary bathroom comes with a spa-like bath with a steam shower. There are a total of 16 bathrooms in the house.
To protect his privacy from curious fans, Jeter obtained approval from the city to build a wall that was two feet higher than permitted, the Times reported in 2020.
Among the amenities in the home are a wine cellar, a movie theater, a gym, and an air-conditioned garage that fits six cars.
The lounge comes with a bar and a billiards table.
Source: Smith and Associates
Outside, there's an 80-foot saltwater pool and two boat lifts on the dock.
The boat dock.
Source: The New York Times
Features Real Estate Mansion