Beset by decades of declining membership, the Fraternal Order of Eagles is selling its 1940s-era art deco building on Catalina Avenue.
Lodge officials said they want to downsize from the current 16,413-square-foot facility at 128 S. Catalina Ave. The property, a historical structure located near the ocean, is listed at $2.99 million.
“The building has outgrown us,” said Aerie No. 935 Trustee Terry Stottler of Torrance. “We have not enough members, not enough functions going on to sustain the building anymore.”
Founded in 1898, the Fraternal Order of Eagles is an international nonprofit group that gathers “in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills and promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope,” according to the national organization’s website.
The Redondo Beach Aerie was established in about 1905.
At one time, according to lodge records, more than 1,200 people were members of Aerie No. 935. When Stottler joined in the early 1970s, there were about 700 members, he said. Today, the aerie claims about 300 members – 200 men and 100 women auxiliaries.
The decline stems from a variety of reasons.
“You have to be blunt about this,” Stottler said. “Some die off. Others, just the fact that they moved out of state and don’t participate. Some would keep their dues up, move away and eventually drop off the rolls.”
Stricter driving-under-the-influence
laws also contributed, because members often come to the lodge in the evening to consume alcohol.
“No one wants to take that chance to go to their local aerie, have a couple of beers and be pulled over on the way home,” Stottler said.
City officials said that the FOE building, zoned residential, is listed as a historic structure and is eligible for special consideration for reuse.
Because of the structure’s classification, City Planning Director Aaron Jones said, a historic overlay designation can be placed over the building that would allow commercial uses and property tax breaks – if the new owner commits to keeping the building intact.
“It provides for the continued preservation of potential historic resources,” Jones said. “It can confer some pretty substantial development rights in exchange for preserving the structure.”
Uses for buildings falling under a historic overlay are diverse.
Perhaps the most prominent example of the more than 80 such buildings in Redondo Beach, Jones said, is the Sweetser House at Beryl Street and Pacific Coast Highway.
Built by Coca Cola Co. executive Chase Sweetser in 1921, the New England colonial-style home has been used as a financial services company and a chiropractic office since the 1980s.
“There aren’t any specific limitations on types of uses other than they have to be able to function … with the constraints of the building,” Jones said.
The designation process takes about six months, according to Jones.
One of the lodge’s Realtors, Rick Thomas of Keller Williams Realty, said the property is attractive because of its seaside location and because there is already parking available.
“The people who have been looking at the property have been churches, schools, groups like the Knights of Columbus,” Thomas said.
“We were looking at a possible wine bar or restaurant on the top level to take advantage of the view and still being able to lease out space for weddings and family events and local community events.”
Though it’s possible up to seven town houses could be located on the site, Thomas said the historical designation would need to be removed, which would take at least a year.
“That’s always an option if you’re buying a property like that,” he said.
Offers for the property will be accepted through Friday.
Lodge officials say no location has been selected for a new aerie.
Trustees hope that whoever buys the property brings value to the community.
“Our motto is `People Helping People,”‘ Stottler said.
“I would be very proud if they would turn it into a child-education school, whether it be private or public.”
eric.bradley@dailybreeze.com