The Connecticut mansion once shared by President Donald Trump and his first wife, Ivana Trump, is slated for demolition, making way for a new luxurious mansion on the same property. The 19,786-square-foot Georgian-style estate, located on a peninsula along the Greenwich waterfront, was purchased by the couple in 1982 for $4 million, shortly after the birth of their daughter Ivanka.
History of the Property
Originally constructed in 1939, the mansion sits on 5.8 waterfront acres and features nine bedrooms. Following Trump's widely-publicised affair with Marla Maples, the couple divorced in 1992, and Ivana retained the house as part of the settlement. She later sold it in 1998 for $15 million after making upgrades and renovations. In 2024, the estate changed hands again for $31.5 million.
Ivana Trump documented the property in her 2017 memoir, "Raising Trump," revealing that she and Donald selected the estate while surveying the town from a helicopter. Ivana passed away in 2022 at age 73 due to accidental blunt force injuries from a fall at her New York City home.
Planned Redevelopment
The new owners, listed under 21 Vista Drive LLC, plan sweeping changes including a new outdoor tennis court, an outdoor swimming pool, additional outbuildings, an indoor tennis court, and a brand-new main house measuring approximately 17,000 square feet. According to documents submitted to Town Hall, the proposal involves combining three lots into a single zoning lot, removing all existing structures, and redeveloping the property.
Attorney John Tesei, representing the new owner, confirmed the plans to local news outlet Patch, noting that fresh beach frontage has also been proposed. The project's magnitude exceeds 150,000 cubic feet of building work, requiring a special permit from the town planning department.
Architectural Details
Robert A.M. Stern Architects, renowned for designing Billionaire's Row at 220 Central Park South in Manhattan, the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, Texas, and the Ocean Course Clubhouse at Kiawah Island Golf Club in South Carolina, has been enlisted for the development. Specifics of the new main residence remain undisclosed.
The application has not yet been scheduled for initial assessment, and the timeline for approval remains uncertain. The previous owners were financier Robert Steinberg and Suzanne Steinberg.
