PHOENIX (AP) – A Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Phoenix has sold more than $7 million.
The Arizona Republic reported Monday that the David and Gladys Wright House sold for $7.25 million. The group of buyers includes businessman Jim Benson and architect Bing Hu, who apprenticed at Wright’s Taliesin West school in nearby Scottsdale.
Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty says the sale went through after the buyers said they intended to preserve and restore the house. Bob Hassett, a Sotheby’s agent, says several offers in the last few years were rejected because the buyers only wanted to tear it down.
Built in 1952, Wright designed the home for his son and daughter-in-law. David and Gladys Wright lived on the then 10-acre property in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood until they died in 1997 and 2008, respectively. Family members sold the house after Gladys Wright’s passing.
A developer bought the house in 2012 with plans to tear it down. Their plans immediately drew an outcry from architects and historical-preservation advocates. It was spared the wrecking ball when another developer bought it with the intent of preserving it.
But the new owner’s proposal to expand the home with a garden pavilion and underground museum failed to be realized, partly due to opposition from surrounding residents.
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AP-WF-08-31-20 2032GMT