Jay J. Armes’ Lower Valley Mansion Has Been Demolished, Retail Development Coming

The Lower Valley mansion famed private investigator Jay J. Armes called home for over six decades stands no more.

The home has been demolished and the land cleared of everything but the fence and most of the trees that lined the property.

In its place is a banner stating the property is under redevelopment and a sign advertising retail space is available.

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Armes put the two-story 9-bedroom, 8-bath home, and the nearly six acres the estate encompassed on North Loop up for sale in 2020.

At the time, the colorful El Paso legend said it was just too much house for the almost-90-year-old and his wife. The following year, the couple held a much-publicized estate sale and sold off everything they no longer wanted or couldn’t fit into the smaller country club home they bought.

Here's What Is Taking Its Place

According to the commercial real estate company that’s repping the property, a shopping center is under development. Per their online site plans, Wendy’s and Pollo Feliz are the first couple of leasees.

A Look Back at the Jay J. Armes Estate Sale

The estate sale took place in October of 2021. Items for sale included a 1962 Shadow Rolls Royce, and a bulletproof Cadillac limo.

Those looking for a stuffed animal for the man cave, and not the Build-A-Bear kind, were in luck.

Spy equipment or other memorabilia from the Central El Paso office he used as the home base for his decades-long career as a private eye were also available.

As were paintings, sculptures, jewelry, slot machines, and Jay J. Armes books and action figures.