Neoclassical Mullis mansion in Bradenton short sells for $2.6 million
BRADENTON -- A mansion bearing a strong neoclassical motif on the Manatee River finally has a new owner after spending the better part of six years on the market.
Once owned by employee services executive Bill Mullis and his wife, Jan, the home at 6280 Riverview Boulevard sold in a short sale on Feb. 25 for $2.6 million according to Manatee County property records. The selling price was well below its original $8.9 million offering price in July 2010.
Mullis is the founder and former owner of Bradenton-based Employee Leasing Solutions, a firm that provided human resources, insurance, 401k and payroll services to thousands of smaller employers across Florida. He sold the company to Workforce Business Solutions, a larger, statewide company that provides the same services, in 2012. Its corporate office is at 1401 Manatee Avenue W.
Known for its Roman columns and a pair of bronze horses that once stood in a fountain out front, the riverbank estate is now owned by another local business executive. Steven Herrig, president of Sarasota insurance agency SUNZ Insurance, bought the home about a seven weeks after his Sarasota County-based company carved out a footprint in Bradenton when it purchased the 59,000-square-foot First Bank building for $2.3 million.
Built in 1997 on about 1.75 acres, the 10,300-square-foot home has not been occupied for about two years, according to Pam Taylor, a Realtor with Michael Saunders & Co. and the listing agent. Bill and Jan Mullis, who built the estate, now live in Liberty, S.C.
Once ornately furnished, the home held an estate sale in January 2014 that drew hundreds to buy its contents.
Constructed to entertain guests, the house features a large "party room" that faces the river on the first floor, a swimming pool, multiple dining venues, a two-sided fireplace and crystal chandeliers. At the time it was built, Taylor said, its look was unlike almost any other home in the area.
"It is very unique," she said.
Another focal point of the home is a five-car garage and a three-vehicle carport. Taylor said Bill Mullis was a car collector and that the garage housed a number of his favorite vehicles.
Manatee County permit records show the construction value of the home was slightly less than $2 million when it was built.
While the recent selling price was nowhere near asking, it was much higher than a number of other recent riverfront sales. According to Multiple Listing Service data, four other nearby single-family properties sold in the past year for prices ranging between $767,000 and $918,000.
Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027 or on Twitter@MattAtBradenton.
This story was originally published March 1, 2016 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Neoclassical Mullis mansion in Bradenton short sells for $2.6 million ."