We don't have much of significance to add to what we've already written about in "Today's News," but for all of you who've missed those updates, we're happy to report that there have been some positive developments recently with regard to Liberace's former Las Vegas home.
It was back in the summer of 2013 that the 15,000-square-foot mansion located at 4982 Shirley St., and formerly owned by Liberace, was sold for $500,000 in an all-cash sale. The buyer, transplanted Brit. and now local vacation-property broker (and Liberace fan) Martyn Ravenhill, announced plans to restore the much-dilapidated 1960s villa to its former glory. And he has been making good on that promise.
In January of this year, the cameras returned to the property and revealed that the restoration has been proceeding apace. Mr Ravenhill and his team had their work cut out for them, discovering post-purchase that there were two dangerous sinkholes located beneath the estate. These have now been filled and much of the structural upgrade has been completed, leaving mainly cosmetic touches left to attend to. The new owner, who to-date has put $1 million into the restoration, is paying close attention to detail and is keeping things as authentic as possible, to the point that the last we heard, he'd issued an appeal for a stuffed peacock, should anyone out there happen to have one going spare. He's working closely with the Liberace Foundation, which will be loaning him some items from the collection previously on display at the shuttered Liberace Museum.
There are plans to open the mansion to the public at some future point, but currently it's officially a private residence and does not have a mixed-use permit. Still, it can host private functions and right now Ravenhill is focusing on some necessary landscaping, and on replacing furnishings on the first floor, ahead of a private fundraising function booked by Las Vegas Opera for Feb. 28. Thereafter, attention will be turned to restoring the second-floor "Moroccan Room" and a bar area, plus an expensive but unavoidable roof replacement. Interested fans are encouraged to check out the mansion's Facebook page, where the new owner is asking fans to post suggestions with regard to the property's future use, enjoyment, and potential monetization.
With 2013's acclaimed HBO biopic Behind the Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, and now news of an upcoming holographic-style production show coming to Las Vegas, a quarter-century after his death Liberace certainly seems to be experiencing something of a renaissance. Keep an eye on "Today's News" and the monthly LVA newsletter for future updates.
