University Park proves to be an idyllic winter home for couple

When Jay and wife Mona were looking for a place to get away from the Chicago winters, Jay remembered the city where his parents retired to in 1970 – Sarasota, Florida. He visited his parents there frequently.

“Sarasota – what’s not to like?” he said.

The couple, originally from Chicago, now lives in Wisconsin on Powers Lake during the summers.

Jay has a master’s degree in welding engineering, which has come in handy at Bulaw Welding & Engineering Co., a five-generation, privately owned company celebrating its 80th year in 2015. Jay has been working at Bulaw Welding for 57 years, though now he is semi retired.

The couple has six grown children (between the ages of 33 and 52), eight grand children and two great grandchildren.

Jay and Mona discovered University Park while out for a ride one day. They walked into the sales office, looked at the scale model for the development and saw a prime lakefront lot with a small red flag, indicating that it was for sale. Jay asked about that particular lot. The sales person explained that the developer of University Park Country Club had been holding the prime lot for his son for 8 years, but they had decided to sell it. That was the first and only day the property was on the market! Jay and Mona purchased the lot and a home across the street to watch construction and built a large 7,600 square-foot home and lived there for 5 years.

University Park is the result of the developer’s dream to create an ideal place to live, said Jay. “The layout they created kept the majority of the large trees and the various-size homes areas are well separated and secluded to keep the natural beauty of the area. As you enter University Park, just off the busy streets, you are immediately in a special, peaceful place. The University Park location, close to shopping and restaurants, could not be better.”

“Our large home was amazing but much more than we needed,” said Jay.

They sold and have moved into a smaller home in University Park and are now rebuilding a partial replica of the Lee Wetherington Homes’ Windsong model in the Wimbledon subdivision.

“I have admired Lee Wetherington Homes since I saw their Addison model many years ago,” said Jay. “I have always enjoyed designing and looking at homes, and my wife and I both fell in love with the new Windsong model at Seacroft in Country Club East at Lakewood Ranch. Since Lee Wetherington Homes is also a custom builder, we chose them to build their model on our new homesite in Wimbledon area of University Park. It was much better seeing a model than trying to plan a house from scratch. It has the same feel of everything we liked in our large house.”

The couple chose to modify the model by expanding the kitchen and bonus room areas and redesigning the pool. The home has 4,100 square feet, three bedrooms, four bathrooms plus a bonus room, pool and a double two- and three-car garage.

“When you walk into the Windsong model, the wide-open view out the back is incredible,” said Jay. “We also like the new open kitchen, dining area and grand room design without separate dining and living rooms. This design is just the right size – not too large or too small. Like the three bears, it is ‘just right’.”

Jay and Mona took their decorator, Deehia Topp, who decorated their larger home through the Windsong model, and she loved it as well.

“It has been a pleasure working with salesmen Doug and Dennis, and everyone else at Lee Wetherington Homes,” said Jay. “Amy and Marnie in design were a pleasure to work with, and the architect, Steve, is amazing.”

Mona envisioned a larger kitchen than what the model showcased so the couple worked with Steve, who suggested adding a second island and additional windows over the counter by a cooktop wall for more light.

“Many Florida split floor plans bury the kitchen in the center of the home and are often dark. We like the kitchen bright so the location on an outside wall with windows lets a lot of light in, which Steve did perfectly. He has included all our wishes in the new design.”

The couple decided to eliminate the large closet and swapped it out for a second den for Jay and Mona’s separate offices. A garden was added off the master bath for a great view from the bath area.

Jay and his wife are awaiting their completed home and looking forward to moving into our new home and continuing to enjoy their friends and Sarasota’s many activities.