COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE : L.A. Developer Plans Restoration of Historic Masonic Temple in Santa Ana

Even with all the new, glass-sheathed buildings in the market, there’s some interest in the oldest of Orange County commercial space.

Of course, it takes a few years for them to pay off.

The Masonic Temple at Sycamore and 5th streets in Santa Ana, a 62-year-old building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was recently sold to a developer who will restore the structure and convert it into retail and office space.

Charla Sanford, an agent for First American Business Properties in Santa Ana, had been seeking a buyer for the building since 1989, when the Masons first enlisted her help.

At first, Sanford was skeptical about selling the building, which was condemned in 1986 because it was deemed seismically unsafe. But when she walked in, she was impressed by its dome-like ceilings, tiered floors and mahogany banisters and carvings.

“My mouth dropped open. . . . I was so awe-struck,” she said. “I had to find a buyer.”

Geoffrey Wall & Associates in Los Angeles bought the 46,000-square-foot building and has hired Santa Ana architect Don Krotee to restore it to its former glory, including a ballroom, meeting rooms and five retail spaces.

The selling price was not disclosed. Even in a tough market, the amount is certainly more than what the Masons paid for the land in the late 1920s: only $10.