Richard Malouf Is Knitting Together a 30,000 Square Foot Something Over on Strait Lane, and He Needs Mega Juice

Do you recall the saga of Dr. Richard J. Malouf, who apparently built quite a fortune and then some through Medicaid orthodontics? For one, he is getting closer to completing the 30,000-square-foot earth-friendly compound he is constructing over on Strait Lane.

Compound, hell, it’s an ENVIRONMENT with the following equation: 10711 Strait + 10674 Strait = one big mama house. So big, in fact, he has applied for a second electric meter, specifically a meter for three-phase power, which is some kind of special electrical power used to power large motors and other heavy loads. Plus they say a three-phase system is more economical than others because it uses less conductor material to transmit electric power than systems like most of us have. Course, what I want to know is this: what is going on over at Chez Malouf that they need all that juice?

Here’s the deal: Dallas code allows only one meter per single-family property. Malouf is asking the Board of Adjustment for an exception to the rule. What I don’t get is this: he stole bought 10674 Strait, as I told you, for about $6,975,000 last year. The house had been on the market a long time — I wrote about it when precious Lynn Gardner Collins had it listed, first for $12.9 million back in February 2008. Lynn worked her fingers to the bone trying to sell that home, alas, it was 2008. She then reduced it to $7,950,000. Finally, the Maloufs snapped it up for over a million less. Surely that home has a meter, and his present home at 10711 surely has one as the place is a 15,000 square foot French Manor. So why the need for a meter request, other than needing super-duper power, which he will probably get because none of the neighbors — Dirk Nowitzki, Phil Romano, and the parents of Luke and Owen Wilson behind him —  have offered up any opposition.

The two lots were platted into one lot, and the two houses are being connected into one house by a bridge deal: 15,000 in 10711 plus 14,280 in 10674 Strait for a grand total of 29,280 and then some. Oh hell, that’s Champ d’Or! They are going t0 need 5 electric meters!

“We don’t want the board to think we are asking for two houses on one lot, just two electric meters: one single-phase and one 3 phase,” wrote a consultant named Mark C. Webb for the Malouf’s.

“Two lots were platted into one lot,” he wrote, “and the two houses are being connected  into one house.”

I’ll say.

Last year, the Malouf’s house manager told me they were turning the house next door — 10647 Strait — into a gymnasium sports center. They also changed out the exterior brick. Now we can see that they actually joined the two houses by a little bridge/walkway. Malouf’s main home at 10711 Strait is, or rather was, exquisite: a 15,000 square foot French Manor, designed by Robbie Fusch and built by Bob Thompson in 2003. Construction stopped for a while, the Maloufs bought it in 2008 (paid $10,500,000) and then finished it out ROYALLY — huge pool, cabana, sports court, gardens, etc.