Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry plans to sell his approximately 35,000 square foot home in metro Atlanta and will build on a 1,000+ acre tract he owns OTP, the AJC has learned.
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Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
The estate, a very secluded and secure spread perched high above Paces Ferry Road, not far from the restaurant Canoe, boasts a slew of amenities including a tennis court, pool, ballroom, wine cellar and fitness facility.
Perry's success as a filmmaker, author and playwright is paralleled by his prowess in real estate. He has bought and sold real estate in Atlanta, New York and California and currently owns property in Douglasville, Atlanta, where the Tyler Perry Studios campus is located, Beverly Hills and New York.
Lately he's been acquiring parcels in Douglas County near Sweetwater Creek State Park and I-20. In recent years he's acquired more than 1,000 acres of land near the Tributary at New Manchester community in Douglas, a few miles west of Six Flags Over Georgia.
He plans to build his new home on a 1,000+ tract of land.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Perry's current home was the site of a private party that I attended following the red-carpet screening of "Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor" in 2013.
No photos were allowed, and security was very proactive, with security guards and cameras at work.
As large and impressive as the house was, it definitely felt like a home, with photos of Perry and his mom and numerous friends placed in the library, kitchen and other areas.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Guests were ferried from the screening to the home afterward. Perry stood at the door and personally welcomed every person who arrived. The guest list included stars of "Temptation" - Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Lance Gross, Ella Joyce and Renée Taylor among them - who joined "Real Housewives" NeNe Leakes and Kandi Burruss (and maybe Cynthia Bailey; I saw her on the red carpet but didn't spot her at the party).
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who showed up as a surprise, also were at the party. I didn't see them either and saw Kim only briefly as she was whisked past the press at the red carpet. (She had a role in "Temptation).
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle was there with some staff members; some of the remarks Perry made right before the screening appeared aimed at the state's lawmakers.
"I am committed to making sure these tax credits become permanent in the state of Georgia," he said, referring to the state's film-friendly tax policy first enacted in 2008.
Also joining the party at Perry's home: Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy, U.S. Rep. John Lewis and a small contingent of Atlanta media personalities including Karyn Greer, Evelyn Mims, JaQuitta Williams.
The French provincial mansion perched atop a 17-acre tract off Paces Ferry along the Chattahoochee River, is enormous yet somehow cozy, despite impressive artwork and signature decorative elements like a huge chandelier in the main area of the house.
In almost every room there are framed photos of him in with famous friends including President Barack Obama, Janet Jackson and Oprah Winfrey and numerous photos of his late mother, Maxine Perry. Perry's study and two-story library are loaded with books, both handsome, leather-bound classics, copies of his own books and Bibles and inspirational books.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Guests made themselves comfortable in various seating areas both indoors and out. The sweeping terrace along the back of the house, overlooking tennis courts and pool, offered an incredible view of the night sky. The downstairs level, where curved archways and lower ceilings give a sort of catacomb/wine cellar look, includes a huge fitness room where Perry presumably maintains his buff physique.
Throughout the evening Perry played the role of genial host.
"I want to tell you guys how much I love and appreciate all your hard work," Perry said that night. "I want to say thank you."
