In early September, a friend?s Facebook post linking to a Change.org petition alerted me to the possible demolition of a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Phoenix, Ariz.
?I can?t even fathom how a developer could just tear down a FLW house,? the post read. ?It?s insane.?
The story came up in conversation several times over the next week or so, at which point my friends and I would shake our heads in disbelief and wonder not only how such a house could be unprotected as a historical landmark, but also how anyone could be so short-sighted and, frankly, heartless as to tear down what amounts to a cultural treasure, a work of art by one of America?s great architects.
?They can?t do that,? said one friend, in complete disbelief. ?They can?t.?
But there it was, not just on the petition, but The New York Times website as well: Wright built the home for his son David. When David Wright and his wife, Gladys, died, their granddaughters inherited the home. The granddaughters sold the home for $2.8 million to a buyer who promised to restore and live in the home. But instead, the buyer put the home back on the market, selling it for $1.8 million to a developer called 8081 Meridian, which had plans (and approval) to split the lot, demolish the house and build two luxury homes on the site.
And who might these dastardly developers be, these men who would tear down a piece of American history to turn a profit? A couple of high school pals from Meridian, Idaho, of course.
Thanks, guys. We Idahoans already get a bad enough rap for the white supremacist crazies that used to live up north. We don?t need people thinking we?ve got a hate on for American architectural history as well.
The New York Times reports that the developers, John Hoffman and Steve Sells, want to sell the house before Nov. 7, when the Phoenix City Council will decide whether to grant the house landmark status. Though such a move would only protect the home from demolition for three years, Sells said it would put him and Hoffman ?out of business.?
The men now say the house should be preserved, but I can?t help but wonder why they didn?t recognize that in the first place. According to the Times article, Sells claims ignorance, saying he hadn?t known the difference ?between Frank Lloyd Wright and the Wright brothers.? The article implies this is because Sells grew up ?rodeoing? with ?no money.?
Really? ?I attended Idaho public schools, was involved in 4-H and have been aware for quite some time that there once was an architect named Frank Lloyd Wright who?s still kind of a big deal.
And I?m not even a residential real estate developer. Surely at some point during their real estate development ventures ? as I understand it, real estate development is at least peripherally related to the architectural industry ? Sells and Hoffman came across some reference to Wright?s work. After all, the American Institute of Architects in 1991 named Wright the greatest American architect of all time. Of all time!
In any case, Sells seems a bit bent out of shape that his investment may not mean as big a payoff as he?d hoped. Though 8010 Meridian purchased the property for $1.8 million, The New York Times reports Hoffman rejected a cash offer of ?a little over $2 million? from an anonymous Wright enthusiast. And while it isn?t fair to ask Sells and Hoffman to take a massive financial hit just because they didn?t see the cultural and historic value of the property, it also isn?t fair of them to use the threat of demolition to squeeze as much money as possible out of a property they didn?t thoroughly research.
And from what Sells tells The New York Times, unless he and Hoffman get a price they?re happy with, demolition is still a possibility. Even if the City Council does grant the home landmark status, ?I?ll move in, invite everybody to come in and take their pictures, and I?m going to wait three years. Then I?m going to knock it down to recoup my losses.?
Dude, come on. Just because the law allows you to do the wrong thing doesn?t mean you should.
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Cady McGovern is Focus editor for the Idaho Business Review
Source: http://idahobusinessreview.com/2012/10/29/developer-claims-no-frame-of-reference-on-historic-home/
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