Very few residences have a backstory linked to pop culture royalty. But this one does. On the surface, 510 Harbor Gate Way on Longboat Key may look like a stunning waterfront home inside the gated community of Bay Isles with panoramic water views, a private dock, and one of the most architecturally distinctive floor plans you'll find anywhere on Florida's Gulf Coast.
But dig a little deeper, and you'll find a story that stretches back nearly 40 years — all the way to New Jersey, a legendary pop icon, and a creative partnership that changed what luxury residential design could look like.
Before Longboat Key, There Was Mendham — and Whitney Houston
In the mid-1980s, Sarasota architect Matthew R. Zito teamed up with developer and philanthropist Stewart "Stewie" Bitterman to build something nobody had seen before in suburban New Jersey luxury real estate.
At a time when affluent homes featured columns, crown molding, and formal dining rooms, Zito was experimenting with circular forms, soaring domed skylights, unusual built-in cabinetry, and open floor plans that made spaces feel more like contemporary sculpture than square footage. His new friend Bitterman shared the vision, and the result was a more-than-13,000-square-foot estate at 22 North Gate Road in Mendham — bold, futuristic, and utterly unlike anything around it.
In 1987, Bitterman sold the property to a rising superstar named Whitney Houston.
Houston made the Mendham estate her primary New Jersey residence for years, and the locus of her famous 1992 marriage to Bobby Brown. The home's architecture, emphasizing dramatic light, curved walls, and open, flowing spaces, turned out to be perfect for one of music's most celebrated figures.
It also became the blueprint for something remarkable right here on Longboat Key.
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Same Vision, Gulf Coast Edition
Fast forward a few decades. Zito and Bitterman, both now retired and living in the Sarasota area, decided to revisit their architectural artistry — this time with the Gulf of Mexico as their canvas.
The result is 510 Harbor Gate Way, built in 1996.
Designed around three interconnected circular "pods," the residence flows like a choreographed dance. There are no awkward hallways, no wasted corners, no spaces that feel like afterthoughts. Curved walls carry throughout every room — even into the garage — creating a cohesive design statement that's genuinely rare in residential construction at any price point.
At the heart of this contemporary home is a great room with soaring wood-paneled ceiling and walls of glass that frame the waterfront like a living painting. Look up and you'll observe the octagonal rooflines, a deliberate nod to the spoke-and-wheel design of Newark Airport's former Continental Airlines terminal.
The circular kitchen features a curved island sitting directly beneath an octagonal skylight, flooding the core of the home with natural light. The primary suite — also circular— includes dual showers, a spa-style bath, a lounge area, a private office, and direct access to the pool and waterfront.
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Built for Lasting Beauty
The residence was also built smart long before "resilient construction" became a coastal real estate buzzword.
Solid concrete block construction. Elevation at 11.5 feet above grade. The property has weathered multiple hurricanes without flooding or structural damage — a distinction that's increasingly valuable in waterfront markets up and down the Gulf Coast.
The desirable amenities match the architectural ambitions: deep sailboat water access, a private dock with a 12,000-pound lift, a pool and spa, custom integrated millwork, and laminated cypress wood ceilings and wall inlays throughout. Residents also have access to the desirable Bay Isles Beach Club.
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Why This Home Is Different
Luxury waterfront properties on Longboat Key aren't rare. But homes with this kind of architectural and cultural history —and creative design palette—are uncommon.
Zito and Bitterman's four-decade collaboration produced two remarkable homes. One became part of a pop legend’s story. The other is now for sale on one of Florida's most desirable barrier islands.
For the right buyer, 510 Harbor Gate Way isn't just a home with a great view. It's a work of art with an exciting story that is still being written.
510 Harbor Gate Way, Longboat Key, FL is listed at $4.395 million. Contact John August for a personal tour. MLS # A4671696
