Is it a house, a condo or a hotel?

A single-family home under construction at Downey Avenue and Gallatin Road. Photo by Eric Pierce

DOWNEY -- With questions swirling since its construction began in 2007, city records confirm that the large, two-story residence on the corner of Gallatin Road and Downey Avenue is indeed a single family home.

According to city records, the Rodriguez residence, which many residents believed to be either an apartment complex or condominiums, is a large, family home that will feature five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, two half-bathrooms and a 3-car garage once completed. The home is located at 9276 Downey Ave.

In 2007, previous owner Ernesto Rodriguez began construction on a new home for the 10,723-square-foot lot, but after the property sat vacant for months, Rodriguez sold the land to the current owners in August 2009 for $310,000.

Last year in late October, the city approved elevation, foundation, roofing and framing floor plans for the home, which will also feature two spacious dens, a study room, and a 20-by-33 foot game room on the second floor.

The home's architecture may look familiar to some as it was designed to favor the Palazzo Poli in Rome. Built in 1735, the Palazzo Poli provides the backdrop for one of Italy's largest and most famous Baroque style fountains, the Trevi Fountain.

********** Published: March 26, 2010 - Volume 8 - Issue 49