Megamansion for Melo

Carmelo Anthony's palatial new digs near Littleton feature a pool, waterfall and a recording studio

John Rebchook, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 12, 2007 at midnight

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It's a big house for a big man.

Carmelo Anthony, the 6-foot-8 superstar forward for the Denver Nuggets, has bought the sprawling Sognare Estate mansion near Littleton. Listing price: almost $12 million.

Anthony bought the home, which some sources list as having more than 25,000 square feet, from a former Qwest executive who, as part of the deal, will get the basketball player's house in Lakewood.

Former Qwest Executive Vice President Stephen Jacobsen built the house after pocketing almost $50 million in company stock when the Denver telco was flying high.

The 22-year-old basketball player's purchase of the Tuscan-style home on almost six acres in Polo Reserve has kept real estate brokers buzzing for more than a month.

The home was originally listed at $17 million in 2004, which was then the most expensive house on the market, but last year the price was slashed to $11.95 million.

Bob Kosena, one of the four Fuller Towne & Country Properties brokers listing it, declined to comment on the selling price or the buyer.

"I heard it sold for less than $12 million," said Edie Marks, a broker with the Kentwood Co.

"It's a fabulous house on a fabulous location," Marks said. "But if it were in Cherry Hills . . . it would have sold for $30 million."

While one of the bigger houses in the metro area, Marks said there are even larger ones in parts of Cherry Hills and the Temple Buell Mansion subdivision.

Although the sale and the purchase price have not been recorded with the Arapahoe County assessor's office, Anthony's agent, Calvin Andrews, confirmed the sale to the Rocky Mountain News on Friday.

The house is in unincorporated Arapahoe County, according to the assessor's office, which put the taxable value of the home at $11 million.

"He already bought it," Andrews said by mobile phone. "He moved in last week."

Andrews declined to release the sales price.

Asked if Anthony was happy with the price, Andrews paused: "Hmmm. It was a very aggressive price. But when you consider what he got for the price, and all of the amenities, it was a fair price."

When it was pointed out that the Jacobsens originally were asking $17 million, Andrews said: "Exactly."

The estate was built in 2002. It includes seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a 5,000-bottle wine center, an 11,000-square-foot barn, hand-cut limestone floors, a Brazilian mahogany paneled library and a recording studio.

The finished square footage has been described in various marketing material as ranging from 21,084 square feet to 25,610 square feet.

But basically, Anthony doubled the size of his 12,130-square-foot Lakewood home, which he bought in 2004 for $3.5 million.

The price the Jacobsens paid has not been recorded with the Jefferson County assessor's office, and Andrews declined to release it.

"This (Sognare) has more space, and (Anthony) liked some of the amenities of the house," Andrews said. "It has a little more isolation than he had before and gives him more privacy."

One amenity that appealed to Anthony was the recording studio. Jacobsen reportedly is an avid guitar player.

"It is absolutely state of the art and a very modern recording studio," Andrews said. "I would not say it was high on his criteria, but it probably pushed him over the edge to buy it. Carmelo wants to do more and more with his record label (Kross Over Entertainment)."

Jacobsen has been named in shareholder lawsuits but never faced criminal charges as his former boss, Joe Nacchio, did. Former Qwest CEO Nacchio last month was convicted on 19 charges of insider trading.

Qwest gave Jacobsen 1.2 million stock options on June 23, 1997, the day Qwest went public. He cashed out $37.5 million in option profits in 2000 after Qwest bought U S West and made about $12 million in other stock sales.

What Melo's getting with Sognare

• A house with as much as 25,610 square feet.

• Eight fireplaces

• Seven-car garage

• A swimming pool, fountains and waterfall

• A 11,000 square foot barn "worthy of a Triple Crown hopeful."

• Hand-cut pillowed limestone floors

• A Brazilian mahogany library

• Copper-clad French doors

• 5,000-bottle wine cellar

• A professional-grade recording studioSource: Marketing Material Released In 2004 By Fuller Towne & Country Properties.

rebchookj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5207