History Buff Makes Offer for China House : Newport Landmark May Escape Bulldozers

The pagoda-style China House, which has been perched at the mouth of Newport Harbor for more than half a century, may escape the bulldozers after all.

Los Angeles businessman Alan Levenson has offered $1.4 million for the property, which many Newport Beach residents consider a landmark.

Levenson’s offer comes on the heels of an earlier, controversial offer by two Corona del Mar couples who had planned to raze the China House and build two homes on the site.

“To bulldoze it and build two big wooden houses there would be criminal,” said Levenson, a historical buildings buff who recently was recognized by the Los Angeles Conservancy Society for his award-winning restoration of Pasadena’s Piggly-Wiggly mansion.

Levenson’s agent, Jan Prumean, said the offer to buy and restore China House has halted the owner’s plan to sell to the two other couples.

One of the couples, Ernest and Donna Schroeder, planned to build a French-style home, while Jim and Martha Beauchamp had planned a Cape Cod-style house.

Donna Schroeder said Wednesday that the two couples have “no intentions of not buying the house. We have $30,000 worth of plans,” she said. “We have all our money in escrow, and I think there is somebody out there trying to sabotage our deal.”

Prumean said the Beauchamps and Schroeders fell out of escrow last Friday after failing to meet the payment schedule. Prumean also said that Robert Newell, owner of the house, has agreed to cancel the deal.

Christa Llong, one of the listing agents on the China House property, said Wednesday, “We have an escrow,” but she would not discuss it further.

The Schroeders and Beauchamps had faced opposition from China House neighbors and other residents who did not want the old salmon and jade green house destroyed.

“The universal sentiment is that no one wants to see the house torn down,” said Jerry Thompson, who has lived next to the China House for more than 24 years.

He and others in the area said the two proposed new homes, each planned for more than 4,000 square feet, would crowd the cove.

If Levenson is successful for his bid on the property, the Chinese motif will be enhanced, he said. “We’re really going to do a number on the house.”

Levenson said that he and his wife were looking for a beach house in the area when Prumean showed them the property.

“I want to bring it back to the way it should have been and get a historic landmark certificate so no one could ever tear it down,” he added.