Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home may be sold, preserved

October 18, 2012

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Phoenix that faced a bulldozer is now looking at a better future. 

Wright designed the home for his son David and daughter-in-law Gladys. The house shares some of the spiral design elements of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and was purchased earlier this year by a private company.

Steve Sells, who runs that company along with his business partner, had planned to demolish the Arcadia home and build two new houses on the lot. After preservationists and architecture lovers in Phoenix cried foul, Sells reached an agreement with the city to try and find a buyer who wants to keep the house as-is.

According to a source with knowledge of the deal, Sells tapped luxury real estate agent Robert Joffe to list and sell the house, in the hope that a potential buyer would gift the house to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. In addition, the house could be granted landmark status at the Phoenix City Council’s November 7 meeting.

Updated 10-18-12 6:04 p.m.