Looks like the "Real Housewives" stars really are the talk of real estate town. Heather Dubrow of the Orange County show fame recently sold her Newport Coast Mansion. Another star of the Miami 'housewives', Lisa Hochstein, is involved in a dispute with preservationists over plans to renovate an architectural masterpiece of 1925.
Hochstein and her plastic surgeon husband, Dr. Leonard Hochstein had first announced plans of renovating their Star Island home, Miami, sometime in December 2012. Dr. Hochstein had purchased the property in a foreclosure sale. The couple had planned to replace the historic landmark with a modern two story building which is slated to be designed by Kobi Karp.
However, the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL), a minor preservation activist group, has locked horns with the Hochstein couple as the building is a historic structure designed by famous architect, Walter DeGarmo, reports Miami Herald.
Usually, preservation laws are quite strict in the Miami area. Any renovations that the current owner of a historic building wants to make, needs legal permit from the Design Review board of the city. In such cases, the board usually favors the owners.
The Miami Beach Design Review Board called a meeting on Feb. 6, 2013, to discuss the building's preservation issue. The meeting was rather 'uneventful' and decision on the house's fate was postponed until March, reports Curbed.
Following the meeting, Lisa Hochstein released a series of tweets to express her displeasure:
"It's our home, we. Bought it, how in the world should it be ANYONE'S concern what we do with it? , how does it affect anyone? Nuts."
"Move over, this is not a museum, it's our private soon to be family home, how ridiculous are these (MDPL) people?"
Lisa Hochstein (@Lisahochstein) via Twitter.
Check out the details of the 42 Star island Home on Zillow.
