Underground tunnels have been a unique feature of oceanfront mansions in some of the most exclusive neighborhoods across the U.S.
In Manalapan and Palm Beach, where some estates stretch from the Intracoastal Waterway to the ocean, homeowners are outfitting their tunnels with high-end finishes and other features. Others are commissioning new tunnels to go with their new homes. The tunnels run underneath Florida State Road A1A.
Around the world, these tunnels may include secret rooms, hidden passageways and other James Bond-esque features.
Buyers and sellers of these waterfront estates in Manalapan have included billionaire Larry Ellison, WeatherTech founder David MacNeil and singer-songwriter Billy Joel, property records show. The price tags match the sizes of mansions: The top five homes on the market in the town are asking between $60 million and $95 million, according to Realtor.com.
Ellison, who co-founded Oracle and is one of the richest people in the world, likely has the biggest home in Manalapan. He paid $173 million in 2022 for the Ziff family’s former estate, a 16-acre compound with 30 bedrooms, two homes and two beachside cottages.
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Builder Robert Burrage of RWB Construction Management took The Real Deal on a Manalapan tour of a recently completed tunnel connecting a main estate to its beach bungalow, as well as a mansion under construction that will feature a new tunnel.
Burrage said construction now involves shutting down half of South Ocean Boulevard at a time, as workers dig up the ground and seal the space to protect it from the elements. More homeowners are now requesting that separate beach houses be built on the oceanfront, complete with full kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms.
