Elvis' Palm Springs Home: Ready for Its Encore?

Updated




Elvis Presley's Palm Springs getaway may finally open to the public in a way the King of Rock 'n' Roll would have been satisfied with, with tours promised for this fall. Ownership of the home that Elvis and Priscilla Presley bought in 1970 -- and which the singer owned until his death in 1977 -- has been given to one of the investors in the desert property after a months-long court battle.

Reno Fontana and his wife bought the house in 2003 with the help of backers, but Fontana went into bankruptcy several times and was evicted in January, reports Palm Springs TV station KMIR. As described in the video above, a judge decided last week that the place dubbed "Graceland West" belongs to investor Randy Raicevic, who told KMIR that he plans to repair and revamp the tourist landmark so that it looks the way it did in Presley's day. Raicevic told Palm Springs' Desert Sun newspaper said that it will then be open daily for tours, at $20 per person, with a target date of Oct. 1.

The way the home's presence impacts the neighborhood might be different, too. Fontana purportedly irritated neighbors with the large parties and busloads of tourists that he hosted at the house. Raicevic told The Sun that visitors will be kept to a minimum, though, and "We'll not keep busy streets."

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