Fun house for sale
27,000square-foot Boca home has its own arcade.
The12-foot mahogany door of “Casa Bell” swings open, revealing home owner Marc Bell, who is wearing a polo shirt, shorts and an inviting smile.
Bell stands in the doorway of his massive Boca Raton mansion that spans over 27,000 square feet with nine bedrooms and16 bathrooms. It’s currently on the market for $29.95 million. The home is located within the gated community of Princeton Estates, which sits inside Wood field Country Club.
Bell proceeds to the living room, taking a seat on thewhite couch that offers a stunning view of the 60-foot swimming pool just a few feet away outside. He leans over to pet the teddy bear skin rug draped on the back of the couch. Bell’s resume is expansive and diverse. In his early 20s, he founded theweb-hosting company that became Globix Corp. He served as an adjunct professor at the Global Entrepreneurship Center of Florida International University. He is credited with producing theater acts, such as “Rock of Ages,” “Jersey Boys” and “August: Osage County.” The latter two titles won him Tony Awards. His movie credits include “Sympathy for Delicious” and “Hesher.”
Bell is the former CEO of the adult networking site Friend Finder Networks and once owned Penthouse magazine. He is managing partner of the investment firm Marc Bell Capital, which focuses on venture capital, private equity, hospitality and entertainment.
But today, Bell is just a guy who wants to showcase his house.
Built in 2005, the home took four years to complete and occupies the site of two former houses that Bell bought and demolished.
The homewas once on the block for $35 million, making it the most expensive listing in Boca at the time. Bell said therewas a buyer lined up, but Bell’s three kids wanted to finish high school in the area and stay near their friends.
The mansion has been relisted with John Poletto and Mark Nestler, of Sotheby's International Realty, with a new price tag of $29.95 million.
Bell wears a wide grin as he describes the time he spent planning the two-story home and “geeky” things to make it unique. “You have no idea, but you’re about to find out.”
The arcade room is jaw-dropping. Air hockey, foosball, billiards, retro pinball machines and Atari Football – Bell’s favorite – are packed into the 2,000-square-foot-wonderland which has a Dave and Buster’s feel. “I’ve spent the last 20 or so years collecting them all,” Bell said.
Prospective owners though, will be left unplugged. The games aren’t included in the sale.
The living room is a rotating showcase pegged to seasonal occasions: Astroturf in January for the Super Bowl, a full-scale cemetery for Halloween, colorful leaves for Thanksgiving and fake snow for winter.
The most publicized room in the house— and Bell’s pride and joy— is the Star Trek themed movie theater that comes complete with a 10-foot movie screen.
As Bell steps in front of the two doors that lead into the theater, the doors slide open with a “whoosh.” Inside is a replica of the bridge from the USS Enterprise on Star Trek: The Next Generation. It seats 11people, has a vibrating floor for the middle row of seats and multiple mood-lighting settings.
Showcased throughout the theater’s lobby is a sizable collection of Star Trek memorabilia that Bell acquired over the years. His prize possession: Leonard Nimoy’s Spock ears.
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