Sacramento’s premier luxury penthouse atop Kimpton Sawyer Hotel will go to highest bidder
An “extremely uncommon” penthouse on the 18th floor atop the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel — a luxury condo that spans 3,000 square feet with 270-degree views of Tower Bridge, the Sacramento River, downtown Sacramento and the Sierra mountains — goes to auction later this month.
Listed for $4.2 million, the three-bedroom, three-bathroom, end-cap condominium will be sold to the highest bidder in a “no reserves” auction facilitated by Platinum Luxury Auctions beginning March 21. No reserve means there is no minimum price set for the property’s sale.
The residence — 500 J. St., Unit 1801 — comes with VIP access to Golden 1 Center, where the Sacramento Kings play, via a private tunnel. The home overlooks the arena, the DOCO area, the state Capitol and other city landmarks.
The home’s ownership is listed under Sweetwater Trust, according to real estate records. The purchasers of the home were Griffith Rutherford Harsh IV, a renowned neurosurgeon, and his wife, Meg Whitman, who was eBay’s CEO for a decade before an unsuccessful run for California governor in 2010. She most recently served as U.S. Ambassador to Kenya in the Biden administration.
The couple bought the condo for $3.75 million in 2018 after it was first built, according to public records.
Despite its stature and top-of-the-line amenities, the penthouse has been on and off the market since 2018. At one point, the condo was listed as a rental at $16,000 per month.
Most expensive condo in city
“As far as our research shows, there have not been many — if any — auction offerings of this type in the city of Sacramento, so this luxury auction provides buyers with a unique purchase opportunity that — quite literally speaking — is extremely uncommon in the traditional sales market,” Trayor Lensock, Platinum Luxury’s founder and president, said in a statement.
The corner unit is the most expensive condominium ever listed in Sacramento. Kimpton Sawyer residents enjoy valet parking, 24-hour room service, a separate owner’s entrance, a concierge, doorman and access to the private lounge, hotel pool and fitness studio.
“The penthouse’s greatest appeal is arguably its location, as that location provides not only close proximity to the best attractions in the city of Sacramento, but also immediate access to all that the building has to offer, from restaurants and maid’s services to a VIP entrance to the Golden 1 Center,” Lensock added.
“The penthouse really does represent the epitome of luxury, convenient living in a vibrant city.”
The sophisticated apartment has a large balcony off the main living area that looks down on Golden 1 Center and streets below.
The residence’s amenities include electronically controlled shades throughout, large-plank hardwood flooring, mosaic tile, walk-in shower and soaking tub in the primary en suite bathroom and a sleek, modern kitchen with marble island and bar-top seating.
“This is arguably the premier condominium residence in the city’s premier residential development, rich with features and services and convenient to all of the city’s main attractions,” said Michael Onstead, a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker who holds the listing.
The mixed-use high-rise was completed in 2018. Its lower levels contain the hotel and the Kings’ executive offices, with the uppermost levels reserved for the residences.
