A $22.5 million Montauk teardown shack sits next to Robert De Niro’s estate, but the real prize is its rare oceanfront lot and approved plans for a 7,100-square-foot luxury home

For film fanatics who worship Robert De Niro and would love to have him as their neighbour, this property is a dream come true. An oceanfront Montauk property next to Robert De Niro’s estate has been listed for $22.5 million. According to a report by Gimme Shelter, it includes a “teardown” 1,800 square foot “shack” built in 1960 and sits on 1.1 acres, said listing broker Kyle Rosko, of Douglas Elliman. The sale also comes with an approved permit to build a large modern home on the ocean, bigger than what the new town regulations allow.The approved plans are from SAOTA, a Cape-Town-based global architecture and design firm whose clients include Roger Federer, said Rosko. “It would take two to three years to get the permits to build an oceanfront estate now — and it wouldn’t be this big,” he said adding, that it’s the perfect spot to build.The property is located at 250 Old Montauk Highway. Nearby is De Niro’s abode, a 1.5-acre property at 242 Old Montauk Highway, which he inherited from his artist father who built it in the 1950s. The Hollywood legend has in the past tried, but failed, to get the town to approve plans to demolish and rebuild on the site.

Nearby is De Niro’s abode, a 1.5-acre property he inherited from his father

The approved plans for the listed site call for a 7,100 square foot dwelling with four bedrooms, four baths and two powder rooms. With the oceanfront sight, it can be a true paradise to live in. The two-storey abode would be anchored by a chef’s kitchen with a pantry, an oceanfront lounge, a formal dining room and a bar area along with not just one but many terraces. “Every house on Old Montauk Highway is on a slope. That’s why you get the most incredible views, just like Malibu,” Rosko said.Outside, plans call for a sleek summer kitchen, a “custom fire feature,” fashionable al-fresco dining areas, a pergola and a cantilevered infinity-edged pool with a swim-up bar at the edge of the bluff. “Every house on Old Montauk Highway is on a slope. That’s why you get the most incredible views, just like Malibu,” he added.Montauk has increasingly become a magnet for boldface names seeking privacy without sacrificing proximity to the ocean, and this stretch of Old Montauk Highway is considered one of the most coveted in the Hamptons. The road’s elevated, winding terrain gives homeowners sweeping, unobstructed water views that are difficult to find elsewhere on Long Island’s East End, making it a favorite among architects and design-conscious buyers who want their homes to feel like an extension of the landscape rather than an imposition on it.The scarcity of oceanfront lots in this corridor is part of what makes the listing so compelling to brokers. Much of the surrounding coastline has already been built out, and new environmental and zoning restrictions have made it increasingly difficult for developers to secure permits for large-scale construction so close to the bluff. That regulatory tightening is precisely why the pre-approved SAOTA plans carry such significant value, they essentially allow a buyer to skip years of red tape and construction uncertainty, stepping directly into the building phase.