Florida mansion with ties to Osama Bin Laden gets demolished

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Central Florida mansion that was once owned by the brother of Al-Qaeda’s co-founder and terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, is undergoing demolition.

According to NBC affiliate WESH , the Oakland mansion, just off West Colonial Drive, was purchased by Khalil Bin Laden in the 1980s. They left their vacation spot shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

“I’ve seen it be abandoned, I’ve seen it when there were people living in it, I saw it when it was a wedding venue,” a neighbor told WESH.

She also recalled the family being airlifted out of the home on Sept. 19, 2001, to fly back to Saudi Arabia.

Since leaving, the home has changed ownership, sat empty, and has been abandoned for years.

According to county records obtained by WESH, the home was last sold in 2021 to an LLC, who filed a notice in January to make “improvements” to the property, including demolition.

The principal at Cornerstone Group, the owners of the LLC, told WESH that although a plan for the space hasn’t formally been submitted, they anticipate the property will comprise commercial space, acres preserved on the lakefront, and multi-family housing.

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