Diocese of Orange County Helps Save St. Isidore Historical Plaza

The effort to "purchase, preserve and protect" St. Isidore Historical Plaza, Los Alamitos' oldest public building, moved forward Monday when a contractual agreement was confirmed with the Diocese of Orange County.

The OC Breeze reports that the Plaza property will enter escrow this week and close by the end of February. The mortgage is for five years.

The Plaza, also known as Comité del Amor, next needs a renovation of the chapel, according to a press release. 

Dedicated volunteers and others have been raising funds to purchase the Plaza to keep it from being sold and downed by a wrecking ball, according to the St. Isidore Historical Plaza website.

In an effort to save the property, a group of concerned citizens presented the Diocese of Orange County with a plan to purchase the site, restore it to its original glory, beautify and renew the grounds for a park, and then gift the property to the City of Los Alamitos with stipulations that it indefinitely serve as a park and community center. 

The chapel is the only part of the property that will be restored to its original state, according to the website. The property's hall, meeting rooms, plaza and gardens will be remodeled and rebuilt in the California Spanish Revival style.

Read more about organizations that use the site, the work that needs to be done, the property's history, and fundraising goals and needs here.

• Previously: St. Isidore Chapel to be Named Historic Landmark
• Previously: Diocese Gives St. Isidore Church a Reprieve