PHOENIX — A historic Phoenix home near Camelback Mountain could be torn down, but neighbors are now trying to save the iconic house.
The White Gates home is at the base of the mountain, and sold last month for about $1.7 million.
A notice for a demolition request was posted on the property late last week.
"People come from all around the world to see this house," said neighbor Carolyn Vasos.
The attorney representing the new owner says that the building would only be torn down to build a new home on the property, not build a multi-family complex that has been rumored.
The home, designed by Al Beadle, has been gutted. Renovation attempts in the past have fallen through.
The house doesn't currently have a historic designation.
A representative of the new owner of the property sent the following statement:
"My Client intends to build his family’s home (one single family home) on this land and live on the property. To help clarify some of the misinformation spreading, there is not a developer involved, the land is not proposed to be subdivided for smaller homes or a multifamily use, and the only intended use is a single family home. It is important to emphasize neither the existing home nor the land is currently registered or designated as historic, nor was it at the time of the sale. This was a private sale between the previous owner and my Client and no restrictions were placed on the sale or the land related to demolition or the construction of a new home."
