Boston’s Biggest Mansion

(Photo courtesy Boston Globe)

Who says you have to move to the suburbs if you want a spacious home? In Boston’s Back Bay area, neighbors are currently watching as a 24,000-square-foot mansion — the biggest in Boston — is being assembled before their eyes.

You might think this is a case of raze and rebuild, but it’s not. The owner, Ofer Nemirovsky, a managing director of an international private equity firm, is actually combining two historic buildings to create a single-family structure. According to the Boston Globe article, this is only the latest example in a wave of wealthy owners who are moving back to the city, and choosing to preserve historical buildings by making expensive repairs and renovations. It’s quite refreshing to hear, given the teardown boom that’s been happening across the country.

Since 1997, Nemirovsky has been aquiring the properties that will make up the home, including these condos in the 25 Exter St. building and a townhouse at 196 Commonwealth Ave., costing about $13.5 million in total.

While the interiors are being gutted, Nemirovsky will be making very minimal changes to the exteriors. Once the $10 million renovations are complete, the home will feature 15 bathrooms, six parking spaces, an atrium, a “ball-playing court,” and a master suite with “his” and “hers” studies, dressing rooms, and bathrooms.