The Edwards residential property will likely have the highest tax value in the county,- Orange County Tax Assessor John Smith told Carolina Journal. He estimated that the tax value will exceed $6 million when the facility is completed.
The rambling structure sits in the middle of a 102-acre estate on Old Greensboro Road west of Chapel Hill. The heavily wooded site and winding driveway ensure that the home is not visible from the road. "No Trespassing" signs discourage passersby from venturing past the gate.
Don Knight, Orange County building plans examiner, told CJ that, including the recreational building, the Edwardses' home would be one of the largest in Orange County.
Knight approved the building plans that showed the Edwards home totaling 28,200 square feet of connected space. The main house is 10,400 square feet and has two garages. The recreation building, a red, barn-like building containing 15,600 square feet, is connected to the house by a closed-in and roofed structure of varying widths and elevations that totals 2,200 square feet.
The main house is all on one level except for a 600-square-foot bedroom and bath area above the guest garage.
The recreation building contains a basketball court, a squash court, two stages, a bedroom, kitchen, bathrooms, swimming pool, a four-story tower, and a room designated "John's Lounge."
Edwards was the Democratic candidate for vice president in 2004 and a former N.C. senator.
Thursday afternoon, the Edwards for President press office was unable to provide information on any additional buildings planned for the estate.
Two America's indeed.
There really are two Americas! There's John Edwards' America, and then there's the America for the rest of us little people.
It's a rough life chasing ambulances.
The poor dears, how will they manage?
"I hear a child's voice calling from beyond the grave... It says, go for the indoor swimming pool, John... You deserve it!"
A tribune of the people's gotta park his butt someplace. Would you have the great man live like one of his peasants?
That is what I would expect of a trial lawyer.
I understand that he also owns a huge house on a gated island off of Wilmington. Yep, Johnny boy, just a common ordinary working stiff.
Seems like ambulance chasing has it's rewards.
Good thing he isn't one of those rich people that get those tax breaks I hear about all the time on tv.
What a fraud- you'd think he'd at least try to manage appearances. How big a house does a person need?
This reveals much about his rhetoric and his character. To build such a palatial estate, while squawking about poverty? A) he’s clueless about poverty. B) His two America’s crap is empty rhetoric.
No dormitories for Katrina victims?
A compelling case for applying Tort Reform on an ex post facto basis...
Forcing doctors to perform unnecesary C-sections is a very lucrative business. At least for that POS Edwards.
The party of the little guy!