An unfinished waterfront mansion inspired by the Taj Mahal is back on the market in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, with a new asking price of $2.5 million. The 4,402-square-foot property sits on nearly an acre along the Gulf Coast. It was first listed for $2 million in 2016. Ten years after that first listing, and 13 years after construction began, the steel-and-concrete home is still unfinished. Building permits for the property were first filed in 2008 by Biloxi doctor Dr Pravin Saija, according to the Sun Herald.
Rachel Allen, a listing agent with Coastal Realty Group, told Realtor.com that the owner has chosen to sell the property instead of finishing the remaining work himself. “The owner started building the home 13 years ago and had trouble finding a contractor to finish the vision the way he wanted,” Allen told Realtor.com. It is waiting for a buyer willing to complete its ambitious design. Saija planned to use the home as his main residence. But finding contractors who could follow the project’s detailed plans proved difficult, slowing the work over the years. The seller is ready to retire, move on, and let someone else finish the vision.”
“Since then, it has been left as it was, and it fell to the wayside.
The property is about 20 minutes from downtown Ocean Springs and has no restrictions on short-term rentals. Because the property has a specialized design and would require a large investment to finish, real estate agents expect much of the interest to come from outside the local area.
The estate could be used as a private home, a corporate retreat, a wedding venue, or a boutique hotel, according to Coastal Realty Group. “Most likely, it will not be someone already living in the local market,” Allen told Realtor.com. “This property will require a buyer with a unique vision, the resources to complete it, and the ability to recognize an opportunity unlike anything else currently available on the Gulf Coast.”
Any commercial use or redevelopment would still have to follow local zoning rules and receive the required building permits and administrative approvals. Ocean Springs has also received wider attention as a coastal destination. It recently appeared on a USA Today list of the top beach communities to live in.