Oregon
Oregon ‘mega-mansion’ sits unfinished 30 years later
WEST LINN, Ore. (KOIN) — For some 30 years, locals and boaters along a popular spot on Oregon’s Willamette River have been staring at a 50,000-plus-square-foot home, unsure of what to think.
It’s unfinished, fenced in, and the open-air structure towers over 31 acres that include 2,700 feet of prime riverfront in an area affectionately called “Peach Cove.”
“Being a kid, I would drive the boat and look at it from the river,” said Jason Mendell.
The high-profile realtor never thought he’d actually list the home, yet now he’s fielding calls from all kinds of folks trying to figure out the property’s potential.
“Entrepreneurs, pro-athletes, business owners, and people trying to figure out what you could do with this,” he told Nexstar’s KOIN on a recent summer day.
The home’s specs are massive, and Mendell said if it’s ever completed, it would be the largest mansion in Oregon by far.
The listing includes nine bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, multiple garages for dozens of show cars and other toys. There’s a massive gymnasium or event space, too, which could include a full-size basketball court. Original plans called for two pools.
“There’s obviously only a certain amount of people that can afford a home like this, and they’ve got to have the vision to be able to finish it off,” says Mendell.
Ask around, though, and it doesn’t take long to learn there’s much more to the larger story.
“He said, ‘Would you like to build a home for me?’” says Tom Avgerakis.
The longtime home builder is referring to Mark Wattles, the founder and one-time boss of Hollywood Video, which grew to be the second-biggest video store chain in the country in the 1990s and 2000s.
Avgerakis remembers when Wattles first showed him the architectural sketches.
“He rolled them out, and I went ‘Oh, okay.’ The challenge was thrown out, and we can do it,” he said.
At first, Avgerakis said construction moved swiftly, with 50-plus workers on site moving dirt and using high-grade Oregon lumber to erect the frame.
Then, as 1996 became 1997, construction stalled, and “We anticipated a short amount of time off, but it just grew and grew and grew.”
He said that as the owner moved on to other businesses and eventually moved away, they kept up general maintenance and even planted acres of berries.
The property was eventually unloaded at auction, and it has changed hands a couple of times over the years, but no one has ever fully built it out.
“It’s a diamond in the rough. It’s just incredible,” said Avgerakis.
He hopes to be involved if the project is ever completed, and said much of the original woodwork remains in good condition even if other elements have deteriorated over the years. The current owner recently installed a new roof.
Mendell said they’re talking to potential buyers about “what could be,” whether it’s a private estate, high-end senior living facility or even a vineyard.
“It’s 31 acres of prime real estate that’s unique,” he said.
The asking price is $4.7 million.
The property is deemed Exclusive Farm Use (EFU), according to Clackamas County records.
A spokesperson told Nexstar’s KOIN that it’s approved for the one home but that anything like a larger care facility wouldn’t be allowed unless there was a zoning change.
(KPTV) – Wildfires continue to burn across Oregon, leading to evacuations and unhealthy air quality for much of the state.
Saturday wildfire updates.
Current Evacuation Levels:
Live updates below:
4:45
Members of the Oregon Air National Guard were on their second day of helping to fight the Grasshopper Fire on Sunday, shifting from protecting buildings to fire mop-up and patrolling fire lines, according to the Oregon Military Department.
The Guard crews are working with the Oregon Department of Forestry’s liaison to the National Guard and with contracted crew bosses assigned to oversee fire line work.
Chief Master Sgt. Brian Brown, 173rd Fighter Wing, said the Grasshopper Fire’s proximity to a metropolitan area sets this deployment apart from past fires he’s supported.
“We’re not out in the middle of nowhere where people don’t care,” Brown said. “We’re closer to the communities, so just seeing that, it’s different.”
4:30 p.m.
First Alert Weather team update:
Oregon and Washington combined have now surpassed 3 million acres burned across the two states, with 52 active large fires currently burning.
On Saturday, over 150,000 additional acres burned, which is double from Friday.
This is one of the worst wildfire seasons on record, and the highest acreage burned since at least 2000. We still have several weeks remaining in wildfire season.
2:30 p.m.
A new new wildfire is burning along Forest Road 46 in the upper Clackamas River drainage, southeast of Ripplebrook and Austin Hot Springs.
The fire is burning on U.S. Forest Service land and is being managed by the Mt. Hood National Forest- US Forest Service, according to Clackamas County officials.
2 p.m.
The Emergency Shelter for people affected by the fires across Umatilla County has been changed to Neighbor 2 Neighbor Pendleton:
715 SE Court Ave
Pendleton, Oregon
9 a.m.
Officials leading the Hagen Fire Incident Management Team announced that the fire has crossed over to the north side of the North Fork Umatilla River, leading to evacuation levels rising in Umatilla County and the closure of Highway 204:
NEW LEVEL 3: Go Now Evacuation Zones:
- UMC – 121-B
- UMC – 121-A
- UMC – 157
- UMC – 243
- UMC – 153
The Level 3 areas include both north and south of Highway 204 between Bob White Lane and Lincton Mountain Road:
- The North Fork of the Umatilla
- Cold Springs Loop
- Bear Creek
- Lick Creek
- Grouse Mountain
NEW LEVEL 2: Be Ready Evacuation Zones:
- UMC – 75C
- UMC – 119-B
- UMC – 155-A
- UMC – 155-B
- UMC – 151-D
- UMC – 123-C
The Leve 2 areas include:
- Lower Basket Mountain Road / Basket Mountain Road
- Giger Lane
- Lupine Lane
- Meadowood Lane and Pine Creek Road
- Abel Lane
- Narkus Lane
- Bob White Lane
The Oregon Department of Transportation has closed Highway 204 between Weston and Elgin, milepost 0 to 39.
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Sacramento State football will make its first trip to Oregon in 2028, adding another marquee opponent to the Hornets’ future schedules as the program begins its move into the FBS.
Sac State and Oregon announced Friday that the teams will play Sept. 9, 2028, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. It will be the first meeting between the programs and Sacramento State’s first game against a Big Ten opponent.
The matchup comes as Sacramento State enters a new era in 2026. The Hornets officially joined the Mid-American Conference this summer as a football-only member, making the jump from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision. The agreement runs for five years.
Sac State’s first season in the MAC begins Aug. 29 at Eastern Michigan. The Hornets will play their home opener Sept. 5 against Mississippi Valley State before facing Fresno State and North Dakota State as part of their nonconference schedule.
More high-profile road games are already on the books for the Hornets beyond 2026.
Sacramento State will open the 2027 season at Cal on Aug. 28, marking the first meeting between the Hornets and Golden Bears with both programs competing at the FBS level. The Hornets then travel to North Dakota State on Sept. 11.
After the Oregon game in 2028, Sac State is scheduled to visit Oregon State on Sept. 1, 2029, before hosting Southern Utah the following week.
The Ducks joined the Big Ten in 2024 and will host the Hornets at Autzen Stadium as part of a 2028 non-conference slate that also includes North Dakota State and Oregon State.
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