ORONO, Minn. - It was at one time the most expensive home in Minnesota, with the name and the locale to match. Now, the 32,000-square-foot Pillsbury mansion on Lake Minnetonka is nothing but rubble.
The 13-acre, seven-bed, 13-bath, nine-fireplace Pillsbury mansion, called Southways, turned 99 years old this year. On Tuesday, it met the wrecking ball.
Last week, the city of Orono approved a permit to demolish the home by request of the current owner.
The current owners, James and Mary Jundt, bought the home for a reported $5 million in 1992 and later remodeled the home for a reported $15 million before putting it on the market a decade ago for $53.5 million. The price later fell to $24 million, but that didn't work out either. The property was split into five parcels. And the 3-acre lot with the house was relisted for $8 million, according to the Star Tribune.
It's unclear what precisely prompted the demolition permit. The Jundts could not be reached for our previous story. The real estate agent who represented the home in the past, Meredith Howell with Coldwell Banker Burnet, also wouldn’t provide comment.