Richard Gere, Paul Simon's Former New Canaan Home Demolished: Report

NEW CANAAN, CT — A New Canaan home previously owned by acclaimed actor Richard Gere, as well as iconic musician Paul Simon, has been demolished, but some pieces of the property have been salvaged, according to a new report.

Reggie Young, founder of the Hudson Valley House Parts architectural salvage store in Newburgh, N.Y., exclusively told People in late August the nearly 32-acre property is no longer standing, however the company worked with developers to salvage some of the architectural gems inside.

People also published an exclusive aerial photo of the now-empty demolition site where the New Canaan home once stood. (Read the full People story here.)

Located on Brookwood Lane, the home was previously owned by Gere and his wife, Alejandra Silva, who purchased the land for $10.8 million from Simon and his wife, singer-songwriter Edie Brickell, in the summer of 2022.

Simon and Brickell had owned the property for 20 years, having paid $16.5 million for it in 2002, prior to selling it to Gere and Silva.

Realtor.com reported in May the six-bedroom brick home was sold to SBP Homes for $10.75 million in November when Gere and Silva decided to move to Spain, however some historic parts of the home were salvaged by Hudson Valley House Parts.

At one point, Gere sought to turn part of the property into a private farm and even attended a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in New Canaan in August 2023 to discuss the couple's plans for it.

Plans to turn the property into a new subdivision with nine lots ranging in size from 2.2 to 4.8 acres received approval from the town's Inland Wetlands and Planning and Zoning commissions in April, as reported by CT Insider.

In July, Simon's daughter, Lulu, took to social media to express her displeasure with Gere's decision to sell her childhood home, accusing the actor of never actually moving into the large New Canaan property and selling it to a developer, according to media reports.

Gere is best know for his roles in acclaimed films such as "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Pretty Woman," "American Gigolo," "Runaway Bride" and "Chicago," the latter for which he won a Golden Globe Award.

Arguably one of the most acclaimed musical artists of all time, Simon was part of the iconic duo Simon & Garfunkel who produced hit songs such as "Mrs. Robinson," "The Boxer," "The Sound of Silence" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

He also found major success as a solo artist, boasting a catalog of hit songs such as "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" and "You Can Call Me Al."