Wellington’s First Builder Celebrates 35 Years in Business
Mark B. Miles, the general contractor who built the very first house in the Aero Club and many of Wellington’s first neighborhoods, celebrated his 35th year in business on April 1, 2011.
Miles was originally hired by Alcoa/Breakwater Housing in 1977 to build the communities of Hidden Landings, Hidden Pines, Tree Tops and Bedford Mews as people discovered Wellington and chose their homes from the models.
“After we remodeled the original models, they sold 60 units in 60 days and hired me to build them,” said Miles. “At the time, Wellington had only one stoplight and the nearest grocery store was at Military Trail and Forest Hill Boulevard.”
Miles continued building Wellington when Gould Florida Inc. took over from Alcoa.
“We were a grassroots neighborhood on every level,” remembers Miles. “I used to play pick-up games of polo with the guys from Gould on the field along Forest Hill Boulevard that now holds the Wellington Municipal Complex. We called it The Hubcap Open and passed a beat-up old hubcap back and forth as the trophy.”
Over the last 35 years, Miles has seen a lot of changes. His original company, Miles Construction, built over 50 new custom homes in the area as well as numerous stalls, barns and grooms’ quarters for Wellington’s fabled equestrian community. He survived the crash of the savings & loans in 1982, then morphed his company into Wellington Remodeling Inc. as the community reached build-out.
“It was interesting to find myself remodeling the very same houses I had built 25 years before,” said Miles. “But each new owner comes with their own wish list – today’s clients want bigger kitchens, specialized media rooms and master bathrooms built en suite or even two master suites.”
Miles says that mother-in-law suites are more popular than ever, with aging parents – or even kids back from college – moving in with Baby Boomers whose own retirement plans may be on hold.
“The economy has reunited families, that’s for sure,” says Miles. “People are no longer willing to shell out big bucks for assisted living facilities when a small ‘apartment’ added to their existing home is so cost-effective.”
Like many other builders in the area, Miles is looking forward to the end of the recession.
“I really don’t want to be the ‘last builder standing’ so I hope the recent reports of an economic turnaround are more than a just a panacea,” he said. “There are such great real estate deals out there right now that people can buy where they want and then remodel to get the exact amenities they want.”
Estimates, as always, are done at no charge. Call Wellington Remodeling Inc. at (561) 722-7195.
“It never hurts to talk to a professional,” concludes Miles. “We’ve seen a lot of homes over the last 35 years and we can share some great ideas with you because of it.”
For more info, contact Deborah Welky: debwelky@att.net.