Leobardo Trevino started Park Royal Custom Homes because he’s a visionary who is passionate about transformation. He’s also a preservationist and loves a challenge.
While you may not know the man, you will know his projects. His company, the Ricchi Group, is well known for ensuring long-neglected iconic buildings are reborn. Among his prominent saves are the LTV Tower, 1600 Pacific, the George Dahl-designed Dallas Public Library, and the original Mary Kay headquarters. He’s also the knight in shining armor that pulled the Statler Hilton out of mothballs and sold it to Centurion American, who returned it to icon status.
A Journey Back To Start
“I started as a residential real estate developer,” Trevino said. “Then I got into bigger projects and commercial development. Residential real estate was my first love. On walks around the neighborhood, I would see an older, beautiful estate home in need of repair and updating, and I started thinking.”
As we know, thinking leads to doing for developers, and Trevino has a soft spot for these older homes and as we said, he’s a preservationist at heart.
“There are so many perfectly great homes that have been around 30 or 40 years. So I decided to get back into the residential side. I started Park Royal Custom Homes to renovate these estate homes and preserve them,” he said. “I think it’s sacrilege to demolish them and build big white boxes.”
But remodeling older housing stock is so much more than cosmetics, Trevino said.
“We fix what’s wrong and bring the character back. We don’t just throw paint at them,” he added. “The main idea is to remodel older, well-built estate houses that have a soul and good bones.”
‘Remodeling existing homes makes sense’
Park Royal Custom Homes’ latest venture is a Netherland Estates swinging ’70s contemporary in Old Preston Hollow. You can tell just by looking at that fantastic façade that it was a cutting-edge design in 1977.
“With our current tight inventory situation, remodeling existing homes makes sense,” Trevino said. “The time is right because of the costs going up on new construction. Lumber costs alone have risen 230 percent. You would end up paying much more for a new house.”
Trevino noted our California buyers are used to purchasing existing updated homes. “They have an appreciation for the former estate homes, and they want character.”
When Trevino spotted this 6,705-square-foot ’70s contemporary, it had undergone some renovation, but there was more to be done. It’s not just about cosmetic updates. Trevino had mechanical systems repaired and a new roof installed before turning the talented team at Park Royal Custom Homes’ attention to cosmetic updates.
The result is inspiring and beautifully demonstrates why these estate properties are worth saving.
Homes With Something Special
“These houses always have something special,” Trevino said. “This one has so many built-in storage spaces. It was how people lived in the 1970s. You get a lot of amenities in these homes.”
You also get a lot of space! This ’70s contemporary has four large bedrooms, six bathrooms, and a powder bath. You seldom find homes with that many bathrooms in new construction today. There are five living areas, four fireplaces, three different patio areas, and a pool.
“When you walk in, you can feel the character,” Trevino said. “We want to preserve history, set a precedent of not tearing homes down, and help people understand that this is the future.”
Allie Beth Allman’s Raul Ruiz has Park Royal Custom Homes swinging ’70s contemporary at 5610 Ursula Lane listed for $2.19 million.
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