Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook is parting with his longtime home in Sarasota, Florida, which was listed on Wednesday for $9.975 million.
Cook and his wife, Dana, bought the waterfront home in 2013 for $2.95 million, records show, and when they made the purchase, they had no intentions of completing any major renovations. They only planned to change some 1980s-style design choices that didn’t match the home’s contemporary exterior, but that changed before they even got the chance to move in.
“We went to the house on New Year’s Day 2014 to receive closing papers and a case of champagne from our buying agent,” Cook, 79, said. “We headed back to our rental to watch the New Year’s Day football games. We got a call about an hour later that our house was on fire.”
The rooftop deck has far-reaching views.
An accidental fire in the kitchen, the result of a cooktop that was left on, burned down most of the Gulf Coast home, save for some bearing walls, the concrete pad and the garage. The home had to be completely rebuilt, and all new systems—from electrical to plumbing to the HVAC—were put in place.
“We moved in 27 months later,” Cook said.
The Cooks worked with architect Carl Abbott, who designed the original home, which was built in 2002, to bring his plans back to life. Abbott, a modernist, is the last surviving original member of the Sarasota School of Architecture, a post-war modern style that emerged in the Gulf Coast city.
There is a new dock and boat lift.
While working with Abbott, the Cooks learned of some of the architect’s plans that got scrapped by the original owners, and they decided to implement them. The upstairs primary bedroom was redesigned to have large, sliding doors that when open allow the room to look out at the large great room below. They also added the roof deck Abbott had envisioned, and, per the Cooks’ request, the second floor was expanded to add about 500 square feet of closet space and enlarge the primary bathroom.
Despite the disaster the fire caused, the Cooks were able to find the “blessing” in it.
“Instead of having to make do with old equipment, we ended up with all new everything,” Cook said. “It took a toll on us, and time and emotions. Doing a job like that is never as easy as it looks.”
The fire and the resulting rebuild also allowed the Cooks to add contemporary interiors that match the home’s boxy white exterior. Inside, there are now white oak floors, a marble fireplace and a more modern staircase with glass railings and lights on every other step. Though there is also an elevator.
A sleek kitchen features glass-front cabinetry, and large hurricane-proof sliding-glass pocket doors line both floors—opening up to terraces on the upper level and leading from the great room to the backyard on the main level. The 4,559-square-foot home has four bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one half-bath, according to the listing with Joel Schemmel of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Downtown Sarasota.
Outside, there’s a heated pool, a hot tub, an outdoor shower and a new boat dock with a lift. The rooftop deck, which suspends over the roof’s eaves, features a wet bar, large retractable umbrellas to provide shade and far-reaching views.
“It’s a complete 360-degree view of Sarasota from downtown almost to Venice, which is 15-20 miles south. On a clear day, we can see almost over Siesta Key,” said Cook, who, no longer wanting to deal with the maintenance of a large home, has now downsized to a condo in Sarasota.
Cook played with Creedence Clearwater Revival from 1967-1972, and is a member, along with the rest of the band, of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Following the group’s breakup, he played bass for the Don Harrison Band and later Southern Pacific.
