Just What Is Richard Malouf Building There in His Backyard Over on Strait Lane? Wet N’ Wild!

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Richard Malouf, the Medicaid-pediatric-dentist-turned-billionaire, is back in the news. In late June, Byron Harris at Channel 8 reported that his aggressive, year-long investigation on WFAA into questionable Medicaid dental payments at Malouf’s pediatric dental clinics– Texas spent more on pediatric Medicaid braces than the rest of the country put together — stirred up the Texas AG, Gred Abbott, to file a lawsuit against Malouf. And Abbott now has at his side some whistle-blowers, including a DDS who worked for Malouf. Word on the street is that the AG is going after $30 million — ouch! This is not coming at a very convenient time because Dr. Malouf is still finishing up his mega mega ENVIRONMENT over there on Strait Lane, right across from Phil Romano.

And a very big something in his backyard. Probably, in fact, a first ever in Dallas. Maybe in all of Texas!

You recall the saga of Dr. Richard J. Malouf , who apparently built quite a fortune and then some through Medicaid orthodontics? (This is what one of his private jets looks like on the inside.) I will leave the discussion of Dr. Malouf’s medicaid billing to others: I am merely fascinated in his home and planes.  In March, Malouf and All Smiles, the company he sold to Chicago-based Valor Equity Partners, a hedge fund, paid the Feds $1.2 million to settle and “resolve allegations that they violated the civil False Claims Act and Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act.” No guilt, just git ‘er done. Malouf is completing a 30,000-square-foot earth-friendly compound over on Strait Lane. Why earth-friendly? Because he didn’t tear down the house next door. Here’s the equation: 10711 Strait + 10674 Strait = one big mama house. So big, in fact,  he applied in April 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 super duper 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. I asked back in April, what is going on over at Chez Malouf that they need all that juice?

Well, I found out. Been sitting on this awhile to make absolutely sure, but I’m told that Malouf is building… in his backyard, and not really advertising, I kid you not… a WATER PARK. That’s right, a regular private Wet N’ Wild or Hurricane Harbor right there on Strait Lane.

Dallas code allows only one meter per single-family property. But Malouf asked the Board of Adjustment for an  exception to the rule.  Malouf stole bought 10674 Strait, as I told you, for about $6,975,000 in 2011. The house had been on the market a long time — I wrote about it when precious Lynn Gardner Collins had it listed, first for $12,900,000 back in February of 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. None of the neighbors – Dirk Nowitzki, Phil Romano, and the parents of Luke and Owen Wilson behind him—  have offered up any opposition to the water park.

Yet.

After Malouf bought the house next door, he platted the two lots into one lot, connecting the two houses by a bridge deal to create a house even bigger, I think, than Kelcy Warren’s over there on Park Lane: 15,000 in 10711 plus 14,280 in 10674 Strait for a grand total of 29,280 and then some.

Champ d’Or, which was recently auctioned off in Hickory Creek, Texas, sold for less than ten million. It was about 40,000 square feet.

“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 and civil engineer 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. They apparently needed the 3 phase for the Water Park.

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.

Stay tuned for more…

10647 Strait Lane

 

Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

No Comments

  1. Amy Patrick, P.E. on July 12, 2012 at 2:28 pm

    That's ridiculous… I don't see how he can possibly get that by the City of Dallas. It's one thing to plat two lots into one and request a second electrical meter, but I really don't think he's going to be able to keep it zoned as residential with something like that in his yard… There's probably not enough water capacity in a 3" or 4" street line, if it's anything like what I'm imagining… If it's not enough, he's going to have to petition the City to run a second, larger line from the main in the nearest thoroughfare, and that'll have to go through public utility permitting. Good luck, buddy…

  2. Amy Patrick, P.E. on July 12, 2012 at 2:28 pm

    That's ridiculous… I don't see how he can possibly get that by the City of Dallas. It's one thing to plat two lots into one and request a second electrical meter, but I really don't think he's going to be able to keep it zoned as residential with something like that in his yard… There's probably not enough water capacity in a 3" or 4" street line, if it's anything like what I'm imagining… If it's not enough, he's going to have to petition the City to run a second, larger line from the main in the nearest thoroughfare, and that'll have to go through public utility permitting. Good luck, buddy…

  3. jOE DOWNEY on July 12, 2012 at 11:10 pm

    Medicare fraud should be treated like Drug dealers No wondering where the good money end and Bad money begins TAKE IT ALL

  4. jOE DOWNEY on July 12, 2012 at 11:10 pm

    Medicare fraud should be treated like Drug dealers No wondering where the good money end and Bad money begins TAKE IT ALL

  5. […] Journal. What do they mean by that? Why, maybe a blast from the past biz practices of people like Richard Malouf who is putting in a WaterPark that one reader thinks we ought to christen “Wate… His gates were wide open on Sunday as trucks heaved in the equipment which is now sitting right in […]

  6. […] Journal. What do they mean by that? Why, maybe a blast from the past biz practices of people like Richard Malouf who is putting in a WaterPark that one reader thinks we ought to christen “Wate… His gates were wide open on Sunday as trucks heaved in the equipment which is now sitting right in […]

  7. […] Wall Street Journal. What do they mean by that? Possibly the business practices of people like Richard Malouf who is putting in a WaterPark that one reader thinks we ought to christen “WaterPik… His gates were wide open on Sunday as trucks heaved in the equipment which is now sitting right in […]

  8. […] Wall Street Journal. What do they mean by that? Possibly the business practices of people like Richard Malouf who is putting in a WaterPark that one reader thinks we ought to christen “WaterPik… His gates were wide open on Sunday as trucks heaved in the equipment which is now sitting right in […]

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