Real estate investor building behemoth Bel Air mansion

Construction workers in Bel Air are hard at work on what promises to be one of the largest houses in Los Angeles. New aerial photos of the busy project site show that the massive residence—which could measure more than 77,000 square feet—is well on its way to completion.

According to plans filed with the city, the megamansion is being built by Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a real estate investor who has been in the news lately because he is a high-profile supporter and friend of President Donald Trump.

The house sits on 8 acres above the Bel Air Country Club. The undeveloped land was listed in 2008 for a whopping $65 million, before it got a price chop to $49.5 million, offering the "opportunity to build an entirely personal masterpiece from the ground up." Property records show it sold in 2010 for $35 million.

This “masterpiece” will include an astonishingly large main house. City documents list a couple of different sizes: one puts the total size as 77,441 square feet, while another calls for a more modest—but still enormous—design measuring 53,369 square feet. The residence will also include a guest house and staff quarters that would include at least 8,000 square feet of additional living space.

With those dimensions, the compound would approach the size of the 60,000-square-foot Chateau de Fleurs, as well as another megamansion being constructed by spec house developer Nile Niami. Both residences are also in Bel Air, where city officials are considering new rules to limit the increasingly voluminous scale of new single-family residences.

(Just for comparison’s sake, this latest home will rival or eclipse the 55,000-square-foot White House in size.)

Permits filed with the city’s department of building and safety further reveal that the project will include such luxurious features as a pool, spa, cabana, and tennis pavilion. A gatehouse is also being constructed on the sprawling property.

They also name leather-clad starchitect Peter Marino as the house’s designer. Primarily known for his commercial projects, Marino’s most prominent Los Angeles project is the recently completed Louis Vuitton flagship store on Rodeo Drive.

Barrack has developed something of a reputation for his opulent real estate purchases, including a share of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Lately, however, his name has been most connected to the president.

In 2016, Barrack established a Super PAC supporting Trump’s candidacy, which raised millions of dollars, including $2 million from fellow LA real estate mogul Geoff Palmer. After Trump was elected, Barrack chaired the new president’s Inaugural Committee, overseeing preparations for his January inauguration ceremony.

Curbed reached out to the PR reps for Barrack’s LA-based firm, Colony Northstar, but did not receive a response.

• The Many Homes of Twi-hard Real Estate Tycoon Tom Barrack [Curbed LA]
• Donald Trump’s Biggest Donor Is Notorious LA Developer Geoff Palmer [Curbed LA]
• The New Biggest Mansion in Los Angeles Will Ask $500 Million [Curbed LA]
• L.A.'s 60K-Square-Foot Chateau Des Fleurs Will Eat Us All [Curbed LA]
• Eight-Acre Bel Air Site Still Kicking Around [Curbed LA]